Rwandan Genocide Fugitive Arrested in Ohio for Immigration Fraud

A fugitive linked to the Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi, Vincent Nzigiyimfura, was recently arrested in Dayton, Ohio, on June 12, 2025. The 65-year-old, also known as Vincent Mfura, faced charges of visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud following an indictment by a federal grand jury.

According to US prosecutors, Nzigiyimfura allegedly concealed his participation in planning and executing attacks on Tutsi civilians during the genocide to gain entry into the United States and apply for citizenship. He was accused of establishing roadblocks to capture victims and deceiving Tutsi families in hiding.

More than a million people were brutally killed in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi within a span of 100 days. Nzigiyimfura is said to have entered the US in 2008 by falsely portraying himself as a genocide victim, thereby avoiding scrutiny during background checks. He then attempted to become a naturalized US citizen using the same false narrative.

Matthew Galeotti, Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division at the US Department of Justice, emphasized that the US does not tolerate human rights violators seeking refuge within its borders. He stated that individuals resorting to immigration fraud to conceal violent pasts would face legal repercussions.

Nzigiyimfura's arrest aligns with Rwanda's ongoing efforts to locate and prosecute individuals involved in the 1994 genocide. Rwanda has employed various legal mechanisms, including national courts, Gacaca community tribunals, and international collaborations, to hold perpetrators accountable.

The Genocide Fugitives Tracking Unit, under the Office of the Prosecutor General in Rwanda, has been actively pursuing extradition requests and sharing indictments with foreign governments, including the US. This recent arrest underscores the joint commitment of Rwanda and its international partners to ensure that genocide suspects, regardless of their location or attempts to conceal their identities, will eventually face justice.