First UK charges brought over 1994 Rwanda genocide

UK police have arrested a 65-year-old man on Monday, charging him with alleged involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. This marks the first such arrest in the UK, although the investigation has been ongoing for several years. The suspect, originally from Kigali, moved to London as an asylum seeker in 1998 and later obtained British citizenship in 2004 before undergoing a name change.

He was granted British citizenship in 2004 and underwent a name change two years later before his arrest. According to Commander Helen Flanagan, head of counterterror policing, the UK will not be a safe haven for individuals suspected of committing international crimes. The Rwandan genocide resulted in the deaths of over 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate ethnic Hutus within a 100-day period orchestrated and led by the Hutu ruling majority.

The suspect is accused of being an ancillary to genocide and aiding crimes against humanity in Rwanda. The investigation, initiated in 2019 following a request from the Rwandan government, involves six offenses of aiding crimes against humanity. The suspect's extradition to Rwanda was halted in 2017 by a British court, leading the Rwandan government to urge UK authorities to investigate the matter further.