Final Justice Eludes Rwandan Genocide Financier, Felicien Kabuga

Felicien Kabuga, a Rwandan genocide suspect accused of bankrolling the 1994 atrocity, has died in custody in a Dutch hospital, according to a UN court statement issued on Saturday. Kabuga, who was 91, passed away in The Hague, where he awaited a trial that began in 2022 but was halted as he was found unfit due to dementia.

A figure central to the genocide that claimed 800,000 lives, Kabuga faced multiple charges, including incitement to commit genocide and murder. His arrest in France in 2020 came after a prolonged international manhunt, highlighted by a USD 5 million bounty.

The court's decision to declare him unfit for trial had stirred anger among genocide survivors, who demanded justice. Following his passing, an investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances surrounding his death. Kabuga's ties to Rwanda's power structure ran deep, with his daughter married to the son of former President Juvénal Habyarimana, whose assassination in 1994 triggered the genocide.

(With inputs from agencies.)