A man identified as Baziruwiha Eliezer, also known as Sebishishe, is being held at the National Criminal Investigation Service (RIB) station in Rubengera, Karongi District, after allegedly evading a 19-year prison sentence handed down by the Gacaca courts according to Igihe.
The 58-year-old man was arrested on August 3, 2026, in Matyazo village, Kinyonzwe cell, Mutuntu Sector, Karongi District.
According to the executive secretary of the Mutuntu Sector, Ntaganda Wilson, Baziruwiha is suspected of participating in the killings of Tutsis in Bisesero during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Ntaganda explained that Baziruwiha disappeared shortly after receiving his 19-year sentence, leaving both survivors and local residents unaware of his whereabouts. Many people believed he fled permanently. However, after returning to his home area and appearing in public, survivors who had seen him during the killings in Bisesero recognized him and alerted authorities.
He added that one of the survivors approached the local administration with the information, which was then reported to RIB. This led to an operation that resulted in Baziruwiha's arrest.
"On Monday, August 3, 2026, we arrested him and transferred him to RIB's Rubengera station for further investigation," Ntaganda said. "The investigation will also establish where he had been hiding and determine whether he received assistance while evading justice so the legal process can take its course."
The Deputy President of Ibuka in Karongi District, Ntukanyagwe Jean Laurent, emphasized that Baziruwiha must serve his sentence, saying it is important in the fight against impunity.
He stressed that genocide crimes have no statute of limitations and urged anyone still hiding after being convicted to forward, acknowledge their role, and seek forgiveness from survivors and the nation. He also encouraged members of the public who know the whereabouts of fugitives to report them so they can be brought to justice.
Authorities say that within the past six months alone, 19 individuals convicted for their role in the genocide against the Tutsi and who had previously escaped justice have been arrested in Mutuntu Sector.
According to Ibuka's leadership in Karongi District, more than 3,000 people convicted by Gacaca courts remain at large in Karongi and other areas. The organization says that over 160 fugitives have been apprehended during the past three years
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