Rwandan immigrant accused of lying on visa paperwork to get into the US after helping in African nation's genocide
A Rwandan immigrant has been arrested in Dayton, Ohio for allegedly lying about his involvement in the Rwandan genocide, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Vincent Nzigiymfura, 65 — otherwise known as Vincent Mfura — has been charged with visa fraud and two counts of attempted naturalization fraud, according to the DOJ.
'As alleged, Vincent Nzigiyimfura directed and encouraged murders during the genocide in Rwanda and then lied to U.S. authorities to start a new life in this country,' the DOJ Criminal Division's head Matthew Galeotti said. 'The United States is not a safe haven for human rights violators. Those, like the defendant, who commit immigration fraud to hide their violent pasts will be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.'
According to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura worked as a businessman and a butcher in Rwanda and helped lead the genocide against the Tutsis. The court alleges that Nzigiyimfura helped plan the killing of Tutsis and provided the Hutus with weapons and transportation.
After the genocide ended in 1994, Nzigiyimfura fled to Malawi before moving to the U.S., according to the Department of Justice. He allegedly gave the U.S. falsified documents that claim he "left Rwanda in 1994 due to the Genocide.'
If convicted, Nzigiyimfura could be sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Though the charges are new, it was no secret that Nzigiyimfura had taken refuge in the U.S.
According to a report in The New Times — a Rwandan news publication — Nzigiyimfura was spotted in the U.S. as far back as 2019.
In their report, Nzigiyimfura is referred to as the "Butcher of Nyanza" and noted that an indictment from Rwanda requesting his arrest had been sent to the U.S.
Rwandan Prosecutor General Jean Bosco Mutangana told the paper in 2019 that the nation had already alerted the U.S to Nzigiyimfura's presence and had asked for help bringing him to justice.
'We have requested our counterparts in the US to take up the matter, if indeed the man is on their territory. We have furnished them with all the necessary evidence to ensure he is held accountable for the atrocities he committed in Southern Province,' he said.
The report notes that while the U.S. has never directly extradited a fugitive to Rwanada for participating in genocide, it has expelled people for immigration fraud. Nzigiyimfura is facing charges related not to his alleged genocide participation, but his immigration status.
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