The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have apprehended a man in Ottawa suspected of living in Canada for three decades under a false identity and being sought by Rwanda for his alleged involvement in the country’s 1994 genocide. The 68-year-old individual was taken into custody upon his return to Canada, with authorities executing a search warrant at his residence to confiscate documents and electronic gadgets.
Following their inquiries, the man is now facing 16 charges under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, although specific charges were not disclosed by the police. The RCMP initiated their probe in December 2021 after receiving intelligence that a man living in Canada since 1996 under a counterfeit identity was subject to an international arrest warrant issued by Rwandan authorities.
Describing the warrant as linked to accusations regarding the man’s actions during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda, the RCMP disclosed the outcome of their investigation in a press release on Thursday. The investigation was characterized by extensive operational and investigative endeavors, along with substantial international collaboration, with the RCMP expressing gratitude to various agencies, including the Canada Border Services Agency, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and the Justice Department’s crimes against humanity and war crimes section.
RCMP Superintendent Jeremie Landry emphasized the significance of the investigation in addressing immigration fraud and identity-related offenses through coordinated national and international investigative operations that comply with Canadian laws. The 100-day genocide in Rwanda from April to July 1994 resulted in the tragic deaths of over 800,000 individuals, predominantly from the Tutsi minority group.