Philippe Hategekimana, a former Rwandan gendarme, has been sentenced to life for genocide after an appeal lasting six weeks in Paris. Having fled to France and changed his name to ‘Manier’ the killer is behind bars after the court President noted he had been a most enthusiastic arm of the Genocide. Witnesses noted he had led massacres of Tutsi Men, women and children and set up many roadblocks to facilitate the slaughter.

Eugene Rwamucyo, 65, has been finally found guilty of inciting genocide and faces 27 years in prison after the verdict of the Assize Court in Paris following a 22 day trial. The former doctor, who fled to France, says he will appeal.

Has the DRC offered to fund and give a pleasant new retirement home for the 6 former ICTR detainees now in Niger? After 2.5 years of trying and failing to find any state willing to take them in, rumours and leaks swirl that President Tshisekedi has seen a new opportunity to annoy Kigali – using Z and the other 5 as some form of ‘aged’ diplomatic ballast. The stark alternative – a one way return to Rwanda. Thirty years after their genocidal regime in Rwanda was defeated and the 6 fled to the DRC, are they about to return there to a warm welcome?

Emmanuel Nkunduwimye, 65, a close friend and supporter of the former deputy leader of the notorious Interahamwe militia, Georges Rutaganda, has been found guilty of genocide and rape, by a Brussels court after a two month trial. He was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment. The self-proclaimed ‘hero’s Hotel Rwanda, Paul Rusesabagina, notably refused to testify in defence of his friend Nkunduwimye.

In May 2023 justice finally caught up with one of the last major fugitives, former Police chief Fulgence Kayishema, who had been sought by the UN Mechanism in South Africa. However, Kayishema, his lawyers and an inept and politically-dubious Cape Town legal system have so far blocked justice and one year on the accused has still to be transferred to the Mechanism to face trial accused of killing thousands of Tutsis in 1994.

It’s UN bonanza payday-time again – the seven former ICTR detainees in living in Niger are celebrating a third $10,000 cash windfall each courtesy of the UN Mechanism ruling its ‘duty of care’ meant they were entitled to what has become an annual tax-free present, to go with free accommodation and medical care. Happy days all round for them. Another savage blow to victims and survivors of the genocide.

The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi devastated millions of lives – not just Rwanda but the whole Great Lakes region. It will take generations to heal the deep wounds. How did such a genocide happen despite the international community knowing it was being planned – and what happened to the perpetrators afterwards as they sought to escape and deny their crimes?

Two suspected genocidaire have been tracked down by Australian media – Froduald Rukeshangabo who now lives and works in Brisbane and Celestin Munyaburanga who is thought to also live in the city – have been named by perpetrators and survivors in Rwanda as culpable of numerous killings during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis. Like the UK, Australia has never held a trial for genocide and has become a popular home for alleged mass killers as a result of its policy of impunity.

Two genocidaire who fled to Belgium have been found guilty by Brussels High Court. Witnesses over two months spoke of the depraved sexual rapes and killings committed by Pierre Twahirwa against Tutsis while co-accused Pierre Basabose, his ‘boss’ and a key funder of Hutu hate radio RTLM was equally active in organising mass murder of innocents. Both will service life terms – though Basabose will be in a secure unit due to his advanced dementia.