Felicien Kabuga, the alleged mastermind behind the financing of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has died in custody in The Hague. He was 90 years old.
Background
Kabuga, a wealthy businessman, was accused of funding the extremist Hutu militias that slaughtered an estimated 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu during a 100-day period in 1994. He was arrested in France in 2020 after 26 years on the run and subsequently transferred to the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) in The Hague to face trial.
Trial and Death
His trial began in 2022 but was repeatedly delayed due to his declining health. In March 2026, judges ruled that Kabuga was no longer fit to stand trial, citing advanced dementia and other medical issues. He died on May 17, 2026, in the detention unit of the IRMCT.
Prosecutors had sought to hold him accountable for his role in the genocide, which included importing machetes and other weapons, as well as broadcasting hate speech through his radio station. The IRMCT confirmed his death and expressed condolences to the victims of the genocide.
Reactions
Human rights groups and survivors of the genocide expressed mixed emotions, with some lamenting that he never faced a final verdict. Jean-Pierre Dusingizemungu, president of the genocide survivors' organization Ibuka, said: "His death is a reminder of the pain he caused, but also of the justice that was not fully served."
Kabuga's death marks the end of one of the most high-profile cases related to the Rwandan genocide, which has seen several key figures brought to justice through international tribunals and national courts.
