Fulgence Kayishema, a Former Rwandan police officer accused of joining in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has abandoned his application for bail and has instead applied for asylum in South Africa, according to reports by the prosecuting authorities on Tuesday, June 20.
Kayishema, who had been a fugitive since 2001, was only just arrested last month under the misleading name of Donatien Nibashumba, while he was on a grape farm outside Cape Town.
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, ICTR, had charged him for genocide for his purported role in the wrecking of the Nyange Catholic Church, which killed 2,000 people in one of the deadliest episodes of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Kayishema is currently facing 54 charges in South Africa, but the 62-year-old has revealed that he is abandoning his bail application and will instead, begin an asylum application today.
The grounds for the asylum application, however, was not indicated as at the time of writing this report.
At least 800,000 Rwandans, majorly from the Tutsi ethnic group, were murdered during the 100 days of violence by several groups and security men from the Hutu ethnic group.
Hutus had not been left out in the killings as they had also suffered casualties themselves, though not as severe as the Tutsis.
This is one of the evil effects of tribal and ethnic hate left to simmer for too long.
Kayishema’s arrest now leaves only three fugitives charged by the international tribunal whose whereabouts are still unknown.
Asylum application regardless, Kayishema remains in custody and the suit has been adjourned to August 18 for further inquiry.
