Félicien Kabuga, a man accused of bankrolling the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has died in a hospital in The Hague. The United Nations court confirmed his passing on Thursday, while he was being held in custody.
The 91-year-old businessman, a key figure linked to the Hutu political elite, faced charges including genocide and incitement to commit genocide. He had pleaded not guilty to these accusations. Kabuga was a central figure in the ethnic violence that saw an estimated 800,000 people killed, predominantly Tutsis, over a brutal 100-day period.
His trial, which began in 2022, was suspended in 2023 after he was declared unfit to stand trial due to dementia. A formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death has been ordered.
Kabuga’s alleged role involved funding and establishing the RTLM radio station, which prosecutors claimed was used to incite the killings. He is also accused of arming, training, and encouraging Hutu militias. His family ties, including his daughter’s marriage to the son of former Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana, further underscore his deep connections to the regime that orchestrated the genocide.
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His death brings a definitive, albeit contested, end to judicial proceedings against him. Some survivors and officials have expressed a sentiment that his passing denies justice.
The UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals issued a statement confirming Kabuga's death in hospital. The medical officer of the UN Detention Unit was alerted immediately.
