Fauston Nusabumkunji, a former counselor in the Kibiritsi division, of Gisagara district, was arrested in the US for concealing his 1994 genocide involvement in Rwanda’s Tuchi.
The 65-year-old, who had lived undetected in the United States for more than 20 years, was taken into custody on Long Island, New York on the morning of April 24th. Nsabumukunzi is charged with one of the Visa frauds and two count attempted fraud, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice. If convicted, he faces the largest sentence in a 30-year prison.
Also Read: Who is Napoleon Mbonyunkaisa, the Prisoner of Genocide?
An unsealed charge issued by the Federal University Ju Court on April 22nd and following his arrest says Nsabumukunzi lied to immigration and naturalization applications to hide his role in genocide. At the time of the genocide, as Kibiriji’s local leader, Nsabumukunzi was said to have been organized and participated in the murder of Tutsi.
Court documents detail Nsabumukunzi used his leadership position to direct armed militias, setting obstacles to identify and kill Tutsi, and even taking part in the killing. He was later convicted of absence by a local court in his role in genocide.
“According to court documents, Nsabumukunzi was a local leader when the genocide began, and he used his authority position to oversee the murder of innocent Tutsi,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, criminal director at the U.S. Department of Justice.
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“He then lied about the path to America and tried to build a new life as the foundation of a deception.”
Also Read: Tracking the Genocide Fugitives: Why so few people have been tested
US lawyer John J. Durham added that Nsabumukunzi had lived in the US “in an unjust clean slate” for more than 20 years, but survivors of his crimes continued to live with the trauma of their losses. “Thanks to the tenacious efforts of our investigators and prosecutors, he will finally be accountable,” Durham said.
Darren B. McCormack, the special agent acting for the Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) in New York, emphasized the gravity of the charges.
“The despair that the accused accused of represents the worst of humanity,” McCormack said. “We will never tolerate any personal safe reservoirs associated with such unimaginable crime.”
Nsabumukunzi reportedly applied for resettlement of refugees in the United States in 2003, granted permanent residency in 2007, and submitted applications for naturalization in 2009 and 2015.
In each case, he is said to have denied his involvement in genocide in 1994.
His arrest follows the recent deportation of Ahmed Napoleon Mbonyunkaisa, another Rwandan convicted of absence in a genocide-related crime. Mbonyunkiza also served prison terms in the United States for unrelated crimes when he was deported.
