Karongi: Over 60 Arrested in 10 Months for Role in the Genocide

KARONGI - In the past 10 months, authorities in Karongi District have arrested over 60 individuals implicated in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the District Administration announced. Many of those apprehended had previously evaded justice after being convicted by the Gacaca courts.

Since January 2025, the district, in collaboration with the Rwanda National Police, National Criminal Investigation Service (RIB), and the IBUKA Association, has intensified efforts to locate and apprehend genocide perpetrators who fled their homes following conviction.

Umuhoza Pascasie, Deputy Mayor of Karongi in charge of Community Welfare, emphasized the importance of addressing the ideology of genocide and helping those who served sentences understand the lasting impact of their crimes. “There are those who have completed their sentences and returned home feeling released from their debt, but in reality, there is no compensation for taking a life. They must understand the lasting debt to the nation and the victims,” he said.

Umuhoza added that ongoing efforts also focus on locating convicted individuals who escaped justice, noting, “We have already arrested about 60, others are still being sought across the country, in collaboration with other institutions.”

Ngarambe Vedaste, President of the Karongi District Council and IBUKA in the district, said that in the former Kibuye Prefecture, more than 300,000 people were convicted for their role in the genocide. He highlighted that while many have served their sentences, others remain at large. “We thank residents for providing information on those we know, and we will continue searching for and arresting them,” Ngarambe said.

Most of those arrested were found after fleeing from Ngoma and Kirehe districts in the Eastern Province, with others apprehended in Kigali City and the Northern Province. Plans are underway to exchange and verify lists of individuals who moved between Kibuye, Ngoma, and Kirehe to ensure those involved in the genocide are brought to justice.