Fourth Rwandan genocide fugitive subject of INTERPOL Red Notice arrested in France

28 February 2008

A Rwandan national wanted for genocide and crimes against humanity in connection with the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, and subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice, has been arrested in France.

Claver Kamana was arrested by French police in Annecy on Tuesday following close co-operation between the INTERPOL General Secretariat in Lyon, the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Kigali, the Brigade nationale pour la recherche des fugitifs - France’s fugitives specialised unit - and judicial authorities in Rwanda.

A former businessman in Kigali, 68-year-old Kamana is accused of having played an active role in acts of genocide against the Tutsis and is alleged to have ordered, organized and supervised massacres, pillaging, rape, inhuman treatment and inciting racial hatred in speeches.

A team from INTERPOL’s Fugitive Investigative Service (FIS) travelled to Rwanda in October 2007 to meet with the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Rwandan Judicial authorities and INTERPOL’s NCB in Kigali to further develop co-operation and obtain actionable information in relation to the location and apprehension of suspects around the world.

Kamana was the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice issued on behalf of NCB Kigali and is the fourth person wanted in connection with the Rwandan genocide to be arrested in France since June 2007. He remains in custody in Chambery where a court will rule on his extradition to Rwanda.