The Investigating Chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal in Paris has ruled that former Rwandan army officer Lt Col Cyprien Kayumba will stand trial in France over alleged involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The decision overturns a January 2025 ruling in which French judges had halted investigations, citing insufficient evidence to link Kayumba to the genocide.
France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) challenged that ruling, arguing that key evidence had been overlooked in the case.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), on April 8, 2026, appellate judges dismissed the earlier decision and ordered that Kayumba be prosecuted for complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity.
Kayumba is accused of playing a role in facilitating the supply of weapons used during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
On April 9, 1994—two days after the genocide began—he attended a high-level meeting of former Rwandan Armed Forces (Ex-FAR) leadership chaired by Théoneste Bagosora.
Ten days later, on April 19, 1994, Kayumba was reportedly sent abroad, particularly to France, to follow up on the implementation of arms procurement agreements that had been suspended.
During investigations, Kayumba maintained that he acted under orders from the then Minister of Defence and was not responsible for distributing the weapons. He also claimed he was unaware that the arms could reach Interahamwe militias or that the military itself was involved in the killings.
However, the Chief Prosecutor has dismissed his testimony as unreliable.
Kayumba, now 71, served in the former Rwandan Armed Forces (Ex-FAR) and, during the genocide, held the position of Director of Finance in the Ministry of Defence, overseeing arms procurement and supply.
He is expected to be tried before the Paris Criminal Court, which handles genocide-related cases, although a trial date has not yet been announced.
