US arrests Rwandan genocide fugitive Vincent Nzigiyimfura after years on the run
If convicted, Nzigiyimfura faces up to 30 years in prison, with sentencing to be determined by a federal judge in accordance with U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A Rwandan man accused of involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi has been arrested in the United States, where authorities say he concealed his past by falsifying immigration and naturalisation documents.
Vincent Nzigiyimfura, 65, was arrested on Wednesday, June 12, in Dayton, Ohio, and appeared in court the following day before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. According to a statement by the US Department of Justice released on June 13, he faces one count of visa fraud and two counts of attempted naturalisation fraud.
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If convicted, Nzigiyimfura could face up to 30 years in prison. The sentencing will be determined by a federal judge based on the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to US authorities, Nzigiyimfura concealed his role in the 1994 Genocide while applying for immigration benefits, including permanent residency and naturalisation, in an elaborate scheme spanning more than a decade.
“The United States is not a safe haven for human rights violators. Those, like the defendant, who commit immigration fraud to hide their violent pasts will be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Influence in Gihisi and Nyanza
According to the statement released by the US Department of Justice, the indictment paints an alarming picture of Nzigiyimfura’s alleged crimes in Rwanda.
At the time of the Genocide, he was a businessman and butcher in Southern Province, where he reportedly held influence in and around the Gihisi and Nyanza areas.
“Nzigiyimfura allegedly provided weapons, transportation, and other material support to fellow perpetrators. He is also accused of organising roadblocks where Tutsi victims were detained and killed, using his vehicle to transport materials for constructing the barricades,” the indictment states.
Prosecutors say Nzigiyimfura planned a cruel tactic to lure Tutsi survivors out of hiding. He allegedly spread false information that the killings had ceased, only to round up and have them murdered.
The US government has emphasised that such atrocities will not be ignored, regardless of how much time has passed or how far perpetrators may flee.
“His indictment and arrest are a step toward justice for those victims,” said Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Detroit. “No one wants a war criminal as their neighbour, and these allegations paint a grim picture of the horror Nzigiyimfura inflicted on the Tutsi people.”
Covering up the past
Following the Genocide, Nzigiyimfura fled Rwanda and lived in Malawi before beginning his path toward US residency.
Between 2008 and 2009, he allegedly submitted fraudulent applications for an immigrant visa and alien registration, falsely claiming he had never participated in genocide or persecuted anyone.
He also submitted an affidavit claiming he had “left Rwanda in 1994 due to the Genocide,” when in fact, he was fleeing accountability for his role in it.
In 2009, Nzigiyimfura entered the United States based on those false claims. Five years later, in 2014, he applied for US citizenship and again lied to authorities, denying he had ever committed a crime or misled U.S. officials.
During a naturalisation interview that November, he reaffirmed these falsehoods under oath. His citizenship application was never granted, but he continued to live in the US undetected.
In 2018, Nzigiyimfura applied for and received a replacement green card, set to expire in 2029.
Three years later, in July 2021, he used that card as identification when applying for an Ohio driver’s license, another move prosecutors say was part of his long-running scheme to maintain a false identity.
The indictment is part of ongoing efforts by the US government to hold accountable people who committed war crimes abroad and later sought refuge in the United States through deception.
“This horrible conduct will not be tolerated,” said Kelly A. Norris, Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “The indictment alleges this defendant facilitated the killings of Tutsi during the Genocide and then lied about it on immigration applications.”
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