France must stop selective justice in pursuing genocide fugitives

As Rwanda marks the 31st commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, President Emmanuel Macron has once again pledged France’s commitment to bringing genocide perpetrators to justice. While such statements are welcome, and indeed, France is one of the few western countries that has made some prosecutions of perpetrators of the genocide, especially over the past few years, they still ring hollow in the face of continued inaction against key fugitives living freely in France. For decades, France has been a refuge for some of the most notorious masterminds of the Genocide, particularly members of the Akazu, the inner circle that planned and coordinated the extermination of the Tutsi. Among them is Agathe Kanziga, the former First Lady and the patron of the Akazu who was the glue that held together the elite group that was composed of among others top politicians, military officers, businessmen and senior clerics. Kanziga remains in France despite Rwanda’s longstanding calls for her extradition or prosecution in France. Others like Laurent Serubuga, a senior military officer who played a direct role in the massacres, continue to evade justice and has found a safe haven in France. If France is sincere about its commitment to justice and remembrance, it must end this culture of selective prosecution. Justice cannot be partial, and no individual—no matter how powerful—should be shielded from accountability. Every genocide fugitive must face the law, without exception. Moreover, France and other European countries must take a firm stand against genocide deniers and ideologues who abuse freedoms abroad to spread revisionist narratives. Genocide denial is a continuation of genocide itself, and Europe must not serve as fertile ground for those who seek to erase truth and insult the memory of the victims. True solidarity with the victims and survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi requires more than symbolic gestures. It demands action. It demands courage. And it demands that France finally live up to its own promises of justice by prosecuting or extraditing all genocide fugitives on its soil. Rwanda and the world are watching. Justice delayed is not only justice denied—it is justice betrayed. Most importantly, with 31 years gone, it is not long that those who are being pursued for their role in the genocide do not have long to have their day in the dock.

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France must stop selective justice in pursuing genocide fugitives