Preliminary investigation over crimes against humanity started in France on Friday, July 24, in the case of a man who allegedly played a central in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, hiding in a city in north-central France. According to media reports from France, this comes after an investigative French media house there located Aloys Ntiwiragabo, 71, hiding in the suburbs of Orléans. Mediapart, the media house, reported that the former Rwandan spy and one of the alleged architects of the 1994 Genocide was not about to be arrested since the international justice system gave up on his prosecution. On Sunday, Alain Gauthier, president of Collectif des Parties Civiles pours le Rwanda (CPCR), a rights group which has for nearly two decades worked to bring Genocide suspects living in France to book, told The New Times that they are impressed with the speed by the authorities. According to Gauthier, things are moving with speed, for once. Gauthier said: The fact of having found Aloys Ntiwiragabo delights us. We also welcome the announcement of the opening of a judicial investigation. Justice has not gotten us accustomed to reacting so quickly as it has happened. We have also been interested in this character for several months. Theo Englebert, author of the story by Mediapart, earlier told The New Times that Ntiwiragabo is extremely discreet and it took his team several days of observation to understand his routine. The approach is not easy because he is very suspicious, even on the two-minute journey between his home and the church, Englebert said. By going through the reports of Rwandan associations founded in France one by one, Mediapart first found the trace of Catherine Nikuze, his wife, who it said first set foot in France on March 3, 1998 and obtained asylum on September 22, 1999. The following year, it is noted, the wife moved with her two children to a dismal suburb of Orleans where, without making waves, she quickly took part in the activities of extremists in exile. Catherine Nikuze was naturalized in 2005 and took the name Tibot. As reported, outside the HLM building in the suburbs of Orleans where Ntiwiragabo took refuge, only the name Tibot appears on the intercom. But on the couples letterbox in the hall, three names appear: Nikuze, Tibot and Ntiwiragabo. Englebert told The New Times that he lives in the modest apartment of his wife, who was naturalized as French in 2005, and that he has identity documents in his name. What is extremely disturbing is that Major-General Ntiwiragabo has visited diplomatic representations of France on several occasions without encountering any difficulties and that he met French judge Jean-Louis Bruguière two months after one of those visits. When this happened, the foreign affairs minister was Hubert Védrine. He was the secretary-general of the presidency in 1994. Did he know anything about any of this? Etienne Nsanzimana, the president of Ibuka- France, on Friday urged authorities in France to arrest the man. Ntiwiragabo belonged to the most extremist circles and commanded the gendarmes of Kigali until 1993. He was part of the inner circle of power often nicknamed Akazu which orchestrated the 1994 Genocide. In 1993, Ntiwiragabo was head of military intelligence (G2) and deputy chief of staff of the genocidal army. During the Genocide, Ntiwiragabo is alleged to have, among others, taken part in daily Genocide planning meetings of the staff of the then Rwandan armed forces. He also allegedly availed a police station in Kigali to Interahamwe militiamen to torture, rape and execute the Tutsi. In July 1994, when many genocidaires fled to Zaire (now DR Congo), Ntiwiragabo was one of them. In 1996, he moved to Kenya. Later, it is reported, he took refuge in South Sudan, until he maneuvered up to France after some time. Englebert said they will publish more about Ntiwiragabos support network soon.
