A 65-year-old man residing in Ohio, Vincent Nzigiyimfura, has been formally charged by the US Justice Department for concealing his involvement in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide as part of an attempt to gain US citizenship.
Nzigiyimfura, also known as Vincent Mfura, faces serious accusations of visa fraud and attempted naturalisation fraud, which could see him sentenced to up to 30 years in prison if found guilty.
The indictment details Nzigiyimfura’s role in the ethnic violence that claimed the lives of approximately 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus, according to the United Nations. It alleges that he acted as an organiser of the genocide in regions around Gihisi and Nyanza, supplying weapons and arranging transportation for Hutu perpetrators involved in the killings.
Matthew Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s criminal division, condemned Nzigiyimfura’s actions, stating that he not only directed and encouraged murders during the genocide but also deceived US authorities to establish a new life in the country.
Galeotti emphasised that the United States does not tolerate human rights violators seeking refuge within its borders.
The indictment further reveals that while living in Malawi during 2008 and 2009, Nzigiyimfura submitted an immigrant visa application to the US containing false information about his past.
After relocating to the US in 2009, he allegedly continued to provide dishonest statements during his subsequent attempts to become a naturalised citizen.
