Vincent Nzigiyimfura, a 65-year-old Ohio man, has recently been arrested for allegedly lying on his US immigration papers to conceal his role in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Nzigiyimfura, also known as Vincent Mfura, is accused of orchestrating mass killings during the genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda while working as a businessman and butcher.
According to the US Department of Justice, Nzigiyimfura directed and encouraged murders during the genocide and then lied to US authorities to start a new life in the country. The indictment against him includes one count of visa fraud and two counts of attempted naturalization fraud.
During the genocide, Nzigiyimfura allegedly played a major role in organizing the killing of Tutsis, providing weapons and transportation to the Hutus to carry out their mass murders. He is said to have set up roadblocks in Rwanda’s Southern Province to trap fleeing Tutsis and devised schemes to trick Tutsis in hiding to believe the killings had stopped, only to have them rounded up and murdered.
After the Rwandan Patriotic Front took military control of the country, Nzigiyimfura fled to Malawi. In 2009, he entered the US after falsifying documents to portray himself as a victim who had left Rwanda in 1994 due to the genocide. He later applied for US citizenship in 2014, reaffirming false statements during an interview with a US Citizenship and Immigration Services officer.
Despite not being granted citizenship, Nzigiyimfura renewed his green card in 2018 and obtained a driver’s license in Ohio. The case was investigated by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Cincinnati field office with assistance from the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center.
Acting ICE Homeland Security Investigations Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey stated that ICE HSI is committed to pursuing justice for victims of genocide and ensuring that those who committed atrocities cannot hide in the US. Nzigiyimfura faces up to 30 years in federal prison if convicted.
The arrest of Nzigiyimfura serves as a step towards justice for the victims of the Rwandan genocide, highlighting the US government’s dedication to holding human rights violators accountable for their actions.
