Faustin Nsabumukunzi, a 65 year-old former member of the Rwandan military, is currently fighting deportation from the United States on those serious charges. Prosecutors claim he hid his role in the Rwandan genocide. French authorities sentenced Nsabumukunzi in absentia to a 25-year jail term for genocide and crimes against humanity in 2014. Now, he is under investigation for visa fraud and naturalization fraud as he seeks permanent residency in the U.S. It was the only way for him to get to the country after applying for refugee resettlement in 2003. Since then he has both resided in and worked as a professional beekeeper in Long Island, New York.
Nsabumukunzi has now been charged for the actions he took against genocide victims during a time of hatred and violence. At the time, he was serving as a Sector Councilor in Rwanda. Prosecutors claim that he was complicit to the gang rape of Tutsi women and took part in violent killings of Tutsis. He built these attempts on a foundation of lies. His fraudulent history would seem to threaten his half-hearted claims.
Background of the Charges
Nsabumukunzi’s story starts in Rwanda, where he was an influential local leader even at the onset of the genocide in 1994. As the Sector Councilor of Kibirizi, he carried a significant amount of weight among Hutu militia fighters. Prosecutors alleged that he took advantage of his position to direct Hutu men to the hiding spots of Tutsi civilians. This atrocious act of negligence is what directly caused their deaths.
“For example, Nsabumukunzi ordered a group of armed Hutus to locations where Tutsis were sheltering and the Hutus killed them,” – prosecutors
Beyond orchestrating killings, Nsabumukunzi contributed to the mass sexual violence that characterized the genocide. He repeatedly called upon Hutu men to rape Tutsi women. This behavior only serves to underscore his direct participation in the crimes.
“Nsabumukunzi also facilitated the rape of Tutsi women by verbally encouraging Hutu men to do so.” – prosecutors
After escaping the genocide in Rwanda, Nsabumukunzi was resettled to Houston where he made his new home—later moving with his family to Long Island. He started over with his apiaries and small garden, abandoning the drug subculture even as he became a healer in many ways. Yet, U.S. authorities have moved to make these egregious accusations public only now.
Legal Proceedings and Consequences
Though Nsabumukunzi applied for a green card in 2007, he attempted to get U.S. citizenship in 2009 and once more in 2015. During this period, it is alleged that he lied about participation in the Rwandan genocide. In effect, he pulled off the perfect immigration fraud.
“As alleged, Nsabumukunzi repeatedly lied to conceal his involvement in the horrific Rwandan genocide while seeking to become a lawful permanent resident and citizen of the United States,” – U.S. Attorney John Durham
If convicted on all counts combined, he faces 30 years in prison as the maximum possible sentence. Nsabumukunzi’s bail package, as it stands now, requires home detention and GPS monitoring. Even with these limitations, he is allowed to be employed as a gardener for a private equity magnate from Long Island.
New Haven U.S. Attorney John Durham said in a statement that those who abuse their positions must be held accountable.
“For over two decades, he got away with those lies and lived in the United States with an undeserved clean slate, a luxury that his victims will never have, but thanks to the tenacious efforts of our investigators and prosecutors, the defendant finally will be held accountable for his brutal actions,” – U.S. Attorney John Durham
The Road Ahead
The case against Nsabumukunzi underscores the ongoing efforts to address human rights violations and hold individuals accountable for their actions during atrocities like the Rwandan genocide. As this situation continues to develop in the courts, many eyes will be on them. They want to know if justice will be done for the victims and families.
While Nsabumukunzi’s actions should not be used to discredit all international justice, they do expose deep flaws in the field. They perpetuate the false narrative that migrants are able to evade detection by employing sophisticated methods to infiltrate nations. His case underscores the complexities of the immigration and refugee resettlement processes. This is particularly the case for people who have been violent in the past.
Leave a Reply