By Smartencyclopedia with agencies

A man believed to be one of the most sought-after suspects in the Rwandan genocide, accused of masterminding the brutal killings of over 2,000 individuals, has been apprehended in South Africa after evading capture for 22 years, as announced by a special United Nations tribunal on Thursday.

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) reported that Fulgence Kayishema was arrested on Wednesday in Paarl, a small town located in a wine-producing region approximately 30 miles east of Cape Town.

The tribunal’s fugitive tracking team, in collaboration with South African authorities, carried out the operation leading to his capture, according to the statement.

During the Rwandan genocide, which occurred over a three-month period in 1994, more than 800,000 individuals lost their lives as ethnic Hutus targeted the minority Tutsis, as well as moderate Hutus who attempted to shield them.

Kayishema was indicted by the United Nations’ International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 2001, facing charges of genocide, complicity in genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, and crimes against humanity for his involvement in killings and other atrocities. Since 2001, he had been on the run, evading arrest, according to the tribunal.

It is alleged that Kayishema orchestrated the massacres of over 2,000 ethnic Tutsi refugees, including men, women, and children, at a Catholic church during the genocide.

“Fulgence Kayishema evaded justice for over 20 years. His arrest ensures that he will finally be held accountable for the alleged crimes he committed,” stated Serge Brammertz, the chief prosecutor of the IRMCT.