Rubavu Woman Arrested for Allegedly Concealing Information on Genocide Victims’ Whereabouts

Rubavu, Rwanda - A 49-year-old woman from Cyanzarwe Sector in Rubavu District has been arrested on suspicion of withholding information about the location of bodies of victims allegedly killed by her father during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

According to local sources, the incident occurred on the night of November 6 to 7, 2025, in Mukingo Village, Makurizo Cell, after the woman, reportedly intoxicated, had an argument with her husband. During the quarrel, she allegedly told him that he would “end up like the 10 Tutsi children her father killed during the Genocide.” Alarmed by the statement, her husband immediately reported the matter to local authorities, leading to her arrest.

Investigators from the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) say the woman later provided partial information indicating that her father, who had worked in Mudende Sector during the Genocide, was involved in the killings of Tutsi civilians in the area. However, authorities noted inconsistencies in her account and a lack of full cooperation regarding the whereabouts of all the victims’ remains.

The President of Ibuka in Rubavu District, Gérard Mbarushimana, confirmed that during the investigation, the woman admitted to knowing the locations of some of the victims. “She identified three bodies, which have since been given a proper burial,” Mbarushimana told IGIHE. “However, she has not revealed where the remaining seven victims were buried. That information has now been handed over to justice for further investigation.”

Mbarushimana described the case as deeply troubling, particularly more than three decades after the Genocide. “It is regrettable that 31 years after the Genocide against the Tutsi was stopped, there is still a lack of information about the whereabouts of victims so they can be buried with dignity,” he said.

He added that the woman’s father, believed to have fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo after the killings, has since disappeared and is presumed dead.

Ibuka, the umbrella organization representing survivors of the Genocide, has urged residents who possess information about unlocated victims to come forward. “Anyone who provides information is free from blame,” Mbarushimana said. “But those who deliberately conceal such information will be held accountable.”

The suspect remains in custody at the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) station in Rubavu as investigations continue.