Félicien Kabuga Dies in The Hague While Awaiting Trial for Role in the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi

Reports released on May 16, 2026, say that Félicien Kabuga has died in a hospital in The Hague, where he had been under the custody of the international judicial mechanism responsible for handling the remaining cases from the international criminal tribunals.

Kabuga was one of the world’s most wanted genocide suspects, accused of playing a major role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. He was arrested in France in May 2020 after spending more than 26 years in hiding. Following his arrest, he was transferred to The Hague to face charges including genocide, incitement to commit genocide, and financing militias involved in the mass killings of Tutsi during the 1994 atrocities.

Over the following years, Kabuga’s health steadily deteriorated. Judges later ruled that he was no longer mentally fit to stand trial due to severe dementia and other age-related illnesses. Although his trial was suspended, he remained in international custody in The Hague until his death.

Kabuga’s death closes a significant chapter in the long pursuit of justice for the Genocide against the Tutsi, which claimed the lives of more than one million people in just three months. For some, his death leaves many unanswered questions that may never be addressed in court. For others, his eventual arrest after decades on the run stood as proof that justice can endure despite the passage of time.

Kabuga was widely known for allegedly financing the notorious radio station RTLM, accused of spreading hate propaganda and encouraging Interahamwe militias to carry out killings during the genocide. Prosecutors also accused him of providing financial support and supplies used in the massacres targeting Tutsi civilians.