Rwamucyo, Kanziga cases and the pursuit of justice for genocide victims: CPCR founder Gauthier speaks

Original article by Jean de Dieu Tuyizere
On Jul 21, 2026 on Igihe website :
https://en.igihe.com/justice/article/rwamucyo-kanziga-cases-and-the-pursuit-of-justice-for-genocide-victims-cpcr-founder-gauthier-speaks

During the appeal trial of Dr. Eugène Rwamucyo at the Paris Assize Court, the French prosecution expressed deep gratitude to the Collectif des Parties Civiles pour le Rwanda (CPCR), praising its 25-year unwavering effort to track down individuals suspected of participating in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi who fled to avoid justice.

French Prosecutor Aude Duret emphasised that without the steadfast dedication of CPCR founders Alain Gauthier and his wife, Dafroza Gauthier, who personally travelled to Rwanda to gather evidence and eyewitness testimonies from where the crimes occurred, many perpetrators would have evaded prosecution entirely.

Since its creation in 2001, CPCR has filed complaints against numerous key figures, including Dr. Sosthène Munyemana, Laurent Bucyibaruta, Pascal Simbikangwa, Octavien Ngenzi, Tito Barahira, Claude Muhayimana, Philippe Hategekimana, Fabien Neretse, and Dr. Eugène Rwamucyo. Most have been convicted and sentenced for their roles in the Genocide against the Tutsi.

Speaking to IGIHE, Alain Gauthier expressed satisfaction with the Paris Assize Court’s decision to uphold the 27-year prison sentence initially handed down on October 30, 2024. He said his thoughts remain with the civil parties represented by CPCR, including more than 500 victims from Ndora, as well as others from Kigali, Butare, and Gishamvu.

Politicisation tactics rejected

Gauthier said that throughout the trial, Dr. Rwamucyo and his defence team attempted to portray him as an innocent victim of renewed diplomatic relations between Rwanda and France, claiming CPCR was merely a tool of the Rwandan government. According to Gauthier, the claims were deliberate attempts to distract the court from the specific charges against Rwamucyo.

“But it was Rwamucyo who was on trial. He had to answer for his role in burying bodies in dozens of mass graves in and around Butare,” Gauthier stated.

“And then there was his speech on May 14, 1994, during Jean Kambanda’s visit. His words were unambiguous. Yet Rwamucyo and his lawyers tried to plead innocent. An untenable stance given the clarity of the facts.”

On the night of July 17 to July 18, the court acquitted Rwamucyo of genocide and crimes against humanity as a perpetrator, but convicted him of complicity in both crimes.

Gauthier stressed that this distinction does not diminish Rwamucyo’s responsibility in the Genocide against the Tutsi, as French law treats perpetrators and accomplices with equal severity.

“A judicial truth has been delivered. The essential work is done, and we accept this decision,” he said.

He further rejected Rwamucyo’s claim that he supervised the burial of Tutsi victims solely for public health reasons, saying witness testimonies showed there was no epidemic in Butare that justified such measures.

Dr. Rwamucyo and his defence team also repeatedly criticised Rwanda’s Gacaca courts, arguing that they did not deliver proper justice and attempting to discredit Gacaca judgment records as potentially fabricated.

Gauthier said the seven lawyers representing Dr. Rwamucyo either lacked knowledge of Gacaca or deliberately chose to ignore its crucial role in delivering justice to survivors.

“Rwamucyo’s seven lawyers understood nothing or chose not to understand the irreplaceable role of Gacaca,” Gauthier said. “Above all, it also showed a total lack of familiarity with Rwanda and its culture. French justice, even while recognising the weaknesses of the Gacaca procedure, respects it.”

The case of Agathe Kanziga and broader challenges

French courts have prosecuted and convicted several high-profile Rwandans from different sectors, including politicians, intellectuals, and security officials.

Gauthier expressed concern over how highly educated individuals, including medical professionals sworn to save lives, became involved in killings during the Genocide against the Tutsi. He said influential figures played a role in mobilising ordinary people to participate in the violence.

He noted that other intellectuals are still awaiting trial in France, including Dr. Charles Twagira, originally from the former Kibuye Prefecture, and Dr. Alphonse Karemera from Butare.

However, Gauthier raised concerns that investigating magistrates in France could dismiss investigations into other Rwandan suspects, as previously happened in the case of Agathe Kanziga, the widow of former President Juvénal Habyarimana.

He warned that delays in pursuing suspects create serious challenges for future cases, as ageing witnesses make it increasingly difficult to collect reliable testimony.

“For future cases, it is clear that it will become increasingly difficult to gather testimonies for the reasons you mentioned,” Gauthier explained. “The CPCR, like judges, faces the same issue. We have to deal with it, but we must be aware that investigating will become harder and harder.”

He added that as evidence collection becomes more difficult, more perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi risk escaping justice.

“That is the sad reality,” he said.

In May 2026, a French appeals court ordered the reopening of the genocide investigation into Agathe Kanziga, which had been closed the previous year, following an appeal by the prosecution.

Gauthier, who filed the initial complaint against Kanziga in 2007 through CPCR, cautioned that the court’s decision does not guarantee that the case will ultimately proceed to trial, given the length of time it has taken.

“But it is not at all certain that this will ever lead to a trial,” Gauthier said. “We have waited too long. Our complaint dates back to 2007, so there is very little hope on that front. The same goes for [Laurent Serubuga].”

Despite these challenges, Alain Gauthier reaffirmed that CPCR will continue its pursuit of justice without seeking recognition, urging Rwandans to draw inspiration from the organisation’s work in building a reconciled society for the well-being of all.