By Ebi Kesiena
One of the last fugitives sought over the 1994 Rwanda genocide, Fulgence Kayishema will apply for asylum in South Africa, where he has been living for two decades, his lawyer said Tuesday.
South Africa’s National Prosecution Authority (NPA) confirmed in a statement that Kayishema “has abandoned his bail application and will instead launch an asylum application today.”
According to lawyer Juan Smuts after Fulgence Kayishema will appear in court in Cape Town the instructions are to apply for asylum in the Republic of South Africa which will indeed be attended to before close of play today.
Smuts said his client “fears for his life, if and when extradited.”
The asylum application is likely to delay Kayishema’s trial and “will suspend his extradition as envisaged,” said the lawyer.
There have not been any formal extradition requests so far.
Kayishema is described by the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (MICT) – the successor to the U.N. court that prosecuted scores of major suspects – as “one of the world’s most wanted genocide fugitives.”
Kayishema allegedly took part in one of the Rwanda genocide’s bloodiest episodes, in which he and others allegedly murdered more than 2,000 men, women and children who had taken refuge in a Catholic church in Nyange, Kivumu District.
He is one of four remaining fugitives sought by U.N. investigators for their role in the genocide, was arrested last month in the town of Paarl in South Africa’s Cape Winelands region.
The 62-year-old, who used many aliases and false documents during 22 years on the run, faces 54 fraud and immigration-related charges in South Africa.
The United States had offered up to $5 million reward for information leading to Kayishema’s arrest, transfer or conviction, but there have been no details as to whether this played a role in the capture.
