Félicien Kabuga, accused of financing the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has died in custody at the age of 93. The UN tribunal is investigating the causes of his death. Considered one of the most wanted fugitives, he was captured in France in 2020 after more than two decades evading justice using false passports.
The surveillance technology that caught a ghost 🕵️
Kabuga's capture in 2020 was not a matter of chance, but rather the result of cooperation between agencies and the use of digital forensic analysis. For years, the accused used false identities and a support network to evade authorities. However, tracking financial transactions and encrypted communications, combined with traveler databases, allowed authorities to locate him in a Paris suburb. His case shows how artificial intelligence and big data have become key tools against crimes against humanity.
The trial that escaped the biological clock ⏳
Kabuga managed to evade justice for 26 years, but in the end he was defeated by a relentless rival: old age. His trial began in 2022, but he barely managed to hear the accusations before his body said enough. At least he spared himself the trouble of hearing the sentence, although surely a celestial court with judges less lenient than those in The Hague awaits him somewhere.