Félicien Kabuga, one of the last remaining suspects linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has died in custody at the age of 93, a United Nations court said on Saturday.
Kabuga had been held at a UN detention centre in The Hague after being arrested near Paris in 2020. He had spent more than two decades on the run before French authorities tracked him down living under a false identity.
The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT), which handles the remaining cases from the UN tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, confirmed his death and said an inquiry had been ordered into the circumstances surrounding it.
Once a wealthy businessman and influential figure in Rwanda, Kabuga was accused of playing a central role in the genocide that killed more than 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis, as well as moderate Hutus, over a period of 100 days.
The killings began in April 1994 after the plane carrying then-Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana was shot down. Extremist Hutu leaders blamed the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front and launched a campaign of mass violence across the country.
Families were attacked in homes, churches and schools, while many victims were killed at roadblocks set up by militias.
Prosecutors accused Kabuga of financing and arming Hutu militias responsible for many of the killings. He was also alleged to have supported the notorious Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), a broadcaster accused of spreading anti-Tutsi propaganda and encouraging violence during the genocide.
Kabuga denied the charges against him.
After his arrest, he was transferred to The Hague to face trial. However, judges later ruled that he was suffering from dementia and was no longer fit to stand trial. Medical experts also found him too ill to be returned to Rwanda.
With no country willing to accept him, Kabuga remained in UN custody in the Netherlands until his death.
For many survivors of the genocide, Kabuga’s arrest in 2020 had been seen as a rare moment of accountability after years of searching for those accused of orchestrating the killings.
His death now brings an end to one of the final unresolved cases connected to the genocide.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would...
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturda...
Félicien Kabuga, one of the last remaining suspects linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has died in custody at the age of 93, a United Nati...
Jeffrey D. Sachs, an economist, public policy analyst, Columbia University professor, and UN advisor, said Azerbaijan and the wider South Caucasus ...
Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven Palestinians in Gaza on Friday (15 May), including a child, as Israel said it had launched an operation ta...
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
Jeffrey D. Sachs, an economist, public policy analyst, Columbia University professor, and UN advisor, said Azerbaijan and the wider South Caucasus could become one of the world’s key strategic connectors in an emerging multipolar order.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven Palestinians in Gaza on Friday (15 May), including a child, as Israel said it had launched an operation targeting Hamas military commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of central London on Saturday (16 May) as two large-scale protests unfolded simultaneously - one focused on immigration and national identity, the other held in support of Palestinians and to mark Nakba Day.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
The second semi-final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest 2026 takes place tonight in a rain-soaked Vienna, with the final 10 places in Saturday’s grand final still up for grabs.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war as well as the bodies of fallen soldiers, on Friday (15 May). The swap came as Ukranian officials said Moscow had carried out its largest aerial attack over 48 hours since the conflict started.
A high-powered lawyer representing Elon Musk attacked the personal and professional credibility of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Thursday, as a landmark federal trial in California nears its conclusion.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Every day, an elderly woman in China’s Shandong province looks forward to a video call from her son. He asks about her health, tells her he has been busy with work, and promises he will come home once he has saved enough money. She tells him she misses him. He tells her to take care of herself.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of central London on Saturday (16 May) as two large-scale protests unfolded simultaneously - one focused on immigration and national identity, the other held in support of Palestinians and to mark Nakba Day.
At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment