Editing Félicien Kabuga

{{Villain_Infobox
|image = Felicien Kabuga.jpg
|fullname = Félicien Kabuga
|alias = 
|origin = Muniga, Ruanda-Urundi
|occupation = Businessman<br>Director of ''[[Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines]]'' <small>(allegedly)</small>
|type of villain = Genocidal Businessman
|goals = Kill all Tutsis in Rwanda and never get caught <small>(all failed)</small>
|crimes = [[Genocide]]<br>[[Xenophobia]]<br>[[Misogyny]]<br>[[War crimes]]<br>[[Crimes against humanity]]<br>[[Mass murder]]<br>[[Kidnapping]]<br>[[Torture]]<br>[[Propaganda]]<br>[[Ethnic cleansing]]<br>Conspiracy
|hobby = }}

'''Félicien Kabuga''' (born 1 March 1933) is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda Rwandan] businessman, accused of bankrolling and participating in the [[Rwandan Genocide|Genocide of the Rwandan Tutsis]].<ref name = kabuga></ref>

In 2020, Kabuga was arrested by the [[W:Law enforcement in France|French police]] in [[W:Paris metropolitan area|Greater Paris]] at the age of 87 after 26 years as a fugitive. As of September 2022, he is currently tried in custody of the [[W:IRMCT|IRMCT]] branch in [[W:The Hague|The Hague]].

==Early life==
Kabuga was born in Muniga, in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commune_%28administrative_division%29 commune] of Mukarange, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefecture prefecture] of Byumba, [[W:Ruanda-Urundi|Ruanda-Urundi]], roughly 30 kilometers off the Rwanda-Uganda Border. Kabuga amassed his wealth by owning tea farms in northern Rwanda, among other business ventures. A multimillionaire, he was closely connected to [[Juvénal Habyarimana]]'s [[MRND]] party and the [[Akazu]], an informal group of Hutu extremists from northern Rwanda that strongly contributed to the Rwandan Genocide.

Kabuga was also allegedly heavily involved in the founding and bankrolling of [[Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines]]<ref name = machetes></ref>, as well as ''[[Kangura]]'' magazine. In 1993, at an RTLM fundraising meeting organized by the MRND, Felicien Kabuga allegedly publicly defined the purpose of RTLM as the defence of [[Hutu Power]]. During the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICTR ICTR]'s so-called "media trial", former RTLM presenter [[George Ruggiu]] named Kabuga as the "Chairman Director-general" of the station, with duties such as "presiding over RTLM" and "representing RTLM."<ref name = kabuga>[https://www.irmct.org/en/cases/mict-13-38 KABUGA, Félicien (MICT-13-38)], International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals</ref>

From January 1993 to March 1994, a total of 500,000 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machetes machetes] were imported into Rwanda, statistically one for every three adult Hutus in the country. Kabuga has been named as one of the main importers of these machetes.<ref name = machetes>[https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-nw-rwandan-genocide-felicien-kabuga-arrested-20200516-ml6iuarta5emdhcrlnttmplngi-story.html Fugitive accused of supplying machetes, propaganda during Rwanda’s genocide is arrested outside Paris], ''Chicago Tribune''</ref>

Kabuga is married to Josephine Mukazitoni. Two of their daughters are married to two of Habyarimana's sons.

==As a fugitive==
In June 1994, after Rwanda was conquered by the [[Rwandan Patriotic Front|RPF]], Kabuga fled the country. He first attempted to enter [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland Switzerland], but was ordered to leave. He went to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinshasa Kinshasa] in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo], and was later believed to be residing in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nairobi Nairobi], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya Kenya].

In September 1995, before any indictment and before he was named as a suspected planner of the genocide, Kabuga registered and apparently ran a business named 'Nshikabem Agency' in Nairobi, operating out of the Kilimani area located along Nairobi’s Lenana Road.

In 2003, a young Kenyan journalist helping American agents from the [[W:Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] track down Kabuga was murdered.

In a speech given on August 28, 2006 during his visit to Kenya, then U.S. Senator [http://real-life-heroes-and-good-guys.wikia.com/wiki/Barack_Obama Barack Obama] accused Kenya of "allowing [Kabuga] to purchase safe haven." The Kenyan government denied these allegations and described Obama's allegation regarding Kabuga as "an insult to the people of this country."<ref>[https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/1144028536/obama-tells-kenya-to-hand-over-kabuga Obama tells Kenya to hand over Kabuga], ''Standard Media''</ref>
According to June 2008 reports by a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway Norwegian]-based blogger calling himself African Press International (API), Kabuga was in hiding in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo Oslo], and might be seeking to turn himself in. Authorities dismissed this claim as a hoax.

KTN news network in Kenya reported on June 14, 2008 that Kabuga had been arrested by Kenya Police the day before and is being held at Gigiri Police Station in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nairobi Nairobi]. Later, the suspect was found to be a local university lecturer, not Kabuga as previously thought, and released. 

== Arrest and trial ==
On 16 May 2020 after spending 26 years as a fugitive, Kabuga, aged 87, was caught by police in [[W:Asnières-sur-Seine|Asnières-sur-Seine]] then apprehended in Paris, France, in a collaboration between the French police and the IRMCT.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2020/05/16/857390356/rwandas-most-wanted-fugitive-f-licien-kabuga-arrested-for-war-crimes Rwanda's Most-Wanted Fugitive, Félicien Kabuga, Arrested For War Crimes], ''NPR''</ref> French authorities expressed a desire to prosecute him for [[crimes against humanity]] committed against the people of Rwanda.

The French initially intended to extradite Kabuga to Tanzania, however Kabuga's lawyers argued that this would endanger his life because Tanzanian leader [[John Magufuli]]'s approach to the COVID-19 pandemic meant he would likely not get treatment if he caught the disease. On October 26, authorities transferred Kabuga to the United Nations court at [[W:The Hague|The Hague]] to face charges of, incitement to and complicity in genocide, persecution and extermination. In November, Kabuga pleaded not guilty to all charges. His trial began on September 26, 2022.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/29/world/europe/rwanda-genocide-trial-felicien-kabuga.html Rwanda Genocide Tribunal's Most Wanted Man Finally Faces Trial], ''The New York Times''</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
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[[Category:Criminals]]
[[Category:Male]]
[[Category:Modern Villains]]
[[Category:African Villains]]
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[[Category:Business Leaders]]
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[[Category:Living Villains]]
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[[Category:Psychopath]]
[[Category:Emotionless Villains]]
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[[Category:Destroyer of Innocence]]
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