International: The alleged financier of the Rwandan genocide, Félicien Kabuga, will not be tried due to his poor health condition

The United Nations International Criminal Tribunal based in The Hague has announced that Félicien Kabuga, accused of financing the Rwandan genocide in 1994, will not be tried due to his health condition. According to the tribunal, Mr. Kabuga is deemed « unfit » to meaningfully participate in his trial, and it is highly unlikely that he will recover in the future. This decision was made after the judges suspended the trial in March to determine if the accused was in good health to remain in the dock.

Félicien Kabuga was arrested in May 2020 near Paris after 25 years on the run. He is accused of participating in the creation of the Hutu Interahamwe militia, the armed wing of the Hutu genocidal regime.

Prosecutors have also accused Mr. Kabuga of playing a key role in the genocide, including mass delivery of machetes and leading the notorious «Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines» (RTLM), which broadcasted calls for the murder of Tutsis.

At the start of his trial, Mr. Kabuga refused to appear in court or remotely. He later participated via video conference, in a wheelchair, from the United Nations detention unit in The Hague.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges of involvement in the radical Hutu radio station that incited the killing of Tutsis during the 1994 massacre in which 800,000 people lost their lives. He also denied supplying machetes or otherwise supporting the Hutu Interahamwe militias.

The UN tribunal stated that they are seeking an alternative «that closely resembles a trial but without the possibility of conviction» for Félicien Kabuga.

This decision has elicited mixed reactions from human rights advocates and genocide victims. Some have welcomed this decision, stating that it would put an end to a trial that could have been futile given Mr. Kabuga’s health condition.

Others, however, have expressed disappointment with this decision, alleging that it could undermine the tribunal’s ability to pursue alleged perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Pedro Okalamar