The United States has announced the arrest of Faustin Nsabumukunzi, a former community leader in Kibirizi Sector, Gisagara District, for concealing his involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. ALSO READ: Genocide fugitive who ‘lied his way into the US’ arrested after decades of immigration deception Nsabumukunzi who was apprehended on April 24 faces one count of visa fraud and two counts of attempted naturalization fraud. If convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison. The 65-year-old who had lived undetected in the U.S. for more than two decades was taken into custody on the morning of April 24 in Long Island, New York. During his initial court appearance, he pleaded not guilty and was released on a $250,000 bail package, which includes home detention, GPS monitoring, and permission to continue working as a gardener. Born in 1958 in Gihenure Cell, now part of Gisagara District, Nsabumukunzi was once a respected figure in his community as a counsellor, a beekeeper, and an active participant in local initiatives. Speaking to The New Times, a genocide survivor who lived under Nsabumukunzi’s leadership recounted his double life. The survivor, who preferred to remain anonymous, described how Nsabumukunzi entrenched himself within a predominantly Tutsi community, earning trust through his leadership in an income-generating project and membership in a savings group that traded banana beer. He often secured donations including a TV used to raise additional funds for the group, from foreign associates. “At first, he managed the television project fairly, collecting small fees from viewers to support the group,” the survivor said. “But soon, he started diverting the funds and organizing secret meetings, excluding Tutsi members.” Those secret meetings took on a more worrying air as tensions caused by the genocide in the country worsened. “The TV set became a cover for night gatherings where plans were being made,” the survivor recalled. When the 1994 Genocide unravelled, it is noted, Nsabumukunzi’s true intentions were revealed. “On a Saturday evening, Tutsi houses were set on fire. The next day, during a community meeting near the Catholic Church, Nsabumukunzi downplayed the attacks, arguing that it was people who wanted to destabilize security, assuring us that security was under control.” Under the pretext of maintaining security, he ordered the establishment of roadblocks. However, these were not intended for protecting people. They were traps to prevent Tutsi residents from fleeing to safety. “At first, no one was killed; only houses were burned, and we hid. But by the third day, the killings began. I remember it all started with a man who came out of hiding to find food for his starving children. He was the first to be killed by Interahamwe militia.” When a Tusti man who was a former counsellor pleaded with Nsabumukunzi, “he laughed at him and said it was impossible to protect every Tutsi.” “Instead, he suggested we all gather at the commune offices. We thought we would be safe there, but it was a trap.” The survivor remembers how those who sought refuge at the commune were ambushed and killed. “I saw him that night, leading attacks, clad in a sports shirt and shorts, holding a machete,” the survivor recalled. “He led groups that burned houses, raped women, and killed men, women, and children alike. He wasn’t just complicit; he was at the forefront.” According to Faustin Nkusi, the Spokesperson of the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA), Nsabumukunzi played a pivotal role in establishing a deadly roadblock at Masangano, between Nyange and Kibirizi, during the genocide. “At this roadblock, they targeted Tutsi civilians attempting to flee, apprehended them, and ultimately killed them,” Nkusi told The New Times. Nsabumukunzi’s crimes did not go unnoticed in Rwanda. In 2008, the Kibirizi Gacaca court convicted him of genocide and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Later, on October 23, 2014, Rwanda issued an indictment and an international arrest warrant against him, which was forwarded to U.S. authorities. Asked about the possibility of Nsabumukunzi’s deportation, Nkusi explained: “We must await formal notifications from U.S. judicial authorities regarding his legal situation.”
