In 2023, the IRMCT Appeals Chamber ruled to discontinue Kabuga’s trial, citing that he was unfit to stand trial due to serious health conditions. Since then, he has remained in custody in The Hague, Netherlands.
On 9 September 2025, Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz and his team stated that although Kabuga has repeatedly complained that his continued detention violates his fundamental rights, European countries he sought to be relocated to have refused to host him.
“Yet, two years later, Kabuga remains in limbo, while complaining that his continuing detention violates his most fundamental rights. His preferred European states have proved unwilling to accept him and the Host State is unequivocal that Kabuga ‘cannot be released onto its territory’” reads the prosecution’s submission.
The prosecution further argued that there should be no concerns about transferring Kabuga to Rwanda, stressing that medical arrangements will be made during the flight.
“The Prosecution therefore requests that the Trial Chamber decide on Kabuga’s provisional release,” he noted.
Brammertz and his team also emphasized that further decisions on Kabuga’s case should not be delayed on grounds of medical records, since much of his health information is already public.
Félicien Kabuga, once one of Rwanda’s wealthiest businessmen, has long been identified as a leading financier of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He is accused of, among other charges, importing massive quantities of machetes that were distributed and used in the killings.
Kabuga was arrested in France on 16 May 2020 after 26 years as a fugitive. In October that year, he was transferred to The Hague to face trial before the IRMCT.
The charges against him included genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, attempt to commit genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, extermination, and persecution.
The IRMCT has clarified that the suspension of proceedings did not amount to an acquittal, nor did it establish guilt.
Lt Gen Kabandana was born in 1968. He was among the soldiers who fought in the liberation struggle that began in 1990 and played a role in halting the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Gen (Rtd) Fred Ibingira, who served alongside him, spoke during a memorial evening held on 9 September 2025 to honor the life of Lt Gen Kabandana. He recalled that most of them had joined the army at a young age, driven by the call to bring peace to Rwandans and build a country in which all citizens could feel a sense of belonging.
He reminded the audience that during the struggle, some fighters died, others were permanently disabled, some were lightly injured, while others recovered. Yet, he emphasized: “What we all fought for whether those who passed away, those permanently wounded, or others—was this country. And indeed, the country was liberated… Kabandana accomplished everything he was meant to do in his youth.”
Gen (Rtd) Ibingira noted that in the 35 years he spent alongside Lt Gen Kabandana, he witnessed him survive multiple gunshots.
“Kabandana was a man who had survived mulltiple bullets. Death, therefore, coming like a stray dog, should not have taken him. The Chief of Defence Staff, present here, commands troops that should have been deployed to shield Kabandana. However, death strikes unexpectedly,” he said.
{{Near-death experiences}}
Gen (Rtd) Fred Ibingira recalled that on 21 and 22 December 1990, Lt Gen Kabandana was injured at a place called Nkanda—now part of Kiyombe Sector—when the enemy surprised them between midnight and 1 a.m. The soldiers, exhausted and hungry, woke up to find themselves under attack while trapped between two hills.
In the process of retreating through the thickets, Lt Gen Kabandana was wounded for the first time, but he recovered quickly.
“What I want to say is that a person dies on their destined day. That day was meant to be Kabandana’s last, and many died there. But Kabandana was slightly injured and later healed,” he explained.
Gen (Rtd) Ibingira went on to recount that in 1991, when the RPA troops fought in Ruhengeri, Cyanika, and Muremure, Lt Gen Kabandana—then still a junior soldier—was already demonstrating exceptional strength and courage.
In May 1991, the commander of the operation distributed 10 machine guns to the soldiers of Bravo and Mike battalions. These heavy weapons were meant to be carried by only the strongest and bravest soldiers. Kabandana was selected among those entrusted with a machine gun.
The two battalions were tasked with moving out of the Virunga mountains to block the Rusumo road.
Gen (Rtd) Ibingira recalled: “That was when I came to know Kabandana very well. We gave them the guns in the evening, still wrapped in plastic and covered with grease. It required the soldiers to carefully clean them and prepare them for use.
“Kabandana carried his gun down the mountain. Since I was the commander, I stayed at a designated place. At one point, one of the soldiers challenged him, saying: ‘Who do you think you are to pass here?’ He then confronted some of the strongest soldiers, struck them down, and they panicked and fled.”
One of Gen (Rtd) Fred Ibingira’s bodyguards once came to him and reported that there was a soldier who had gone wild and beaten them all. The next morning, Gen (Rtd) Ibingira asked his soldiers who had assaulted his guards.
Kabandana immediately admitted it, saying: “Do they love you more than we do? They attempted, … then I beat them.”
According to Ibingira, it was there that Kabandana earned his very first military rank, Corporal.
On 18 May 1991, during a march toward the park (in eastern province), the battalion led by Gen (Rtd) Ibingira was at the front. He instructed his soldiers to rest while Bravo Battalion stayed behind to provide security. However, the enemy manoeuvered and attacked those who had fallen asleep in the bushes.
He recalled: “We were taken by surprise by heavy gunfire. Among the young soldiers who fought to rescue their comrades was Kabandana. He emerged from the bush with his machine gun and began firing at the enemy without anyone commanding him or telling him what to do. That gun had tremendous power, and because of it, many soldiers managed to get out of the bushes and regroup to fire back. I remember that on that date Gen Musemakweri was shot, along with many others.”
The enemy force numbered about 900 soldiers, while their battalion had only 200 poorly equipped men facing the government army.
On 21 May, Gen Ibingira was wounded and taken abroad for treatment. He returned to the battlefield after a year and a half, rejoining Kabandana in the same battalion.
At that time, Kabandana served as deputy in charge of political affairs within their unit, while also actively fighting on the frontlines.
Gen (Rtd) Ibingira recalled: “In 1994, during the struggle to liberate our country and stop the Genocide against the Tutsi, Kabandana and I were together from Mutara all the way to Butare. He was among those seen in Karubamba on social media carrying an infant who had survived the killings at that parish.”
He emphasized that Kabandana narrowly escaped death during events in which very few soldiers survived. In 1994, when they reached Ruhuha in Bugesera, Kabandana joined Gen Mubarakh Muganga. He drove a Daihatsu vehicle and returned with about 12 survivors.
On their way back along the Nemba–Nyanza road, which had been heavily mined, the vehicle exploded after hitting a mine. All those he had saved were killed instantly.
Kabandana himself was severely burned but miraculously survived. “Kabandana fought in all these battles, he even went abroad to confront terrorists and provide security and still did not die. Yet in the end, it was illness that took him,” Gen (Rtd) Ibingira said.
He stressed that Kabandana’s legacy will never fade, as he left behind his children, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), and the country he fought for.
“I often hear some of the Interahamwe saying that heaven will receive them. If that is true, then we shall be the first to be welcomed into heaven. There is no way heaven could exist and not welcome Kabandana, a man who gave his youth, his strength, who worked without pay, without seeking honor, but served the people of Rwanda.
“For four years on the battlefield, he fought without a salary. Religious leaders who found churches today receive offerings immediately, yet he belonged to a ‘church’ that paid no salary, only rewarding truth, life, and spirit,” Gen (Rtd) Ibingira recounted.
“We know some of our comrades who betrayed this cause and chose selfish interests. Whatever rewards they received, they know them, but they will not die with honor.”
Lt Col (Rtd) Naramabuye, who is also Lt Gen Innocent Kabandana’s brother-in-law, thanked the national leadership for doing everything possible to ensure Kabandana received the medical care he needed.
“We lived through many stages together from preparing to defend this country, to fighting on the battlefield, and later working in the South where he guided the youth and others preparing to serve the nation. At that time, [the military leadership will remember this] a decision was made for some soldiers to pursue higher education at the University of Rwanda and elsewhere,” he noted.
Lt Col (Rtd) Naramabuye, then a student at the University of Rwanda, joined Kabandana in counseling young people and comforting those fearful of being blamed for their relatives’ involvement in the Genocide against the Tutsi.
He noted: “Just think of the energy our country gained from this. Leaders sent him to teach love to people, including those who had committed crimes. I also remember the lessons we gave to youth survivors studying at the university. I still wonder where his strength came from. But, as we discussed in the family, a person is made up of three types of strength: spiritual strength, intellectual strength, and physical strength. Everything else arises from these three.”
He affirmed that Lt Gen Kabandana lived by these strengths, particularly those of spirit and intellect: “These are the foundations of all human action. They were built on love, as our elders always reminded us that love is the first weapon we must use, even before we could access other weapons. Love works, and it will always work. It is a weapon that can never be defeated.”
He concluded by stressing that Lt Gen Kabandana used this weapon of love to mentor young people: “From the few examples I have shared—and there are many more—he achieved his goals and became a role model for countless people. We have no doubt that God has welcomed him. This is not emotion speaking; his actions speak for themselves.”
{{Lt Gen Kabandana’s legacy to the youth}}
Lt Col (Rtd) Naramabuye urged young people to follow in the footsteps of Lt Gen Kabandana, who was known for his love, selflessness, and many other virtues.
“My request to the youth is that you live by his good example—love one another, work in ways that bring dignity to yourselves and to your families. As you grow, you will realize that the world we live in is, for the most part, not guided by love but by personal interests.
“It often discourages those who try to build their nations on love. But we will never be defeated. We endured very difficult times, yet the good leadership of this country and the foresight of our army have shown that as long as we walk in the strength of spirit, love, and wisdom, God will remain with us, protect us from all dangers, and keep us strong,” Lt Col (Rtd) Naramabuye said.
He recalled that in 1994, churches, once seen as sanctuaries and houses of God, became sites of mass killings and urged the public to stand for the right cause.
“We must put into practice the teachings we constantly preach, just as Lt Gen Kabandana so often demonstrated through his own example. He fought many battles, he confronted evil directly. He never feared evil, he never feared to speak the truth. Even when it challenged the interests of some, he told them: ‘These interests will not last.’ To you, young people here today, and to your peers, we beg you as parents: if you walk in that path, you will prove that you truly loved and will always honor Lt Gen Kabandana.”
The incident occurred on September 9, 2025, at around 11 a.m., when laborers were reinforcing a retaining wall built to hold back soil. Some workers were positioned beneath the wall, while others were adding soil on top when it suddenly gave way.
Security officials, local authorities, and the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) arrived swiftly at the scene to provide reassurance and launch investigations.
Nyamasheke District Mayor, Narcisse Mupenzi, confirmed the arrests, saying: “ Ongoing investigation has led to the arrest of two individuals.”
The suspects are reported to be the site engineer and supervisor. Sources indicate that 13 injured workers including eight in critical condition were transferred to Kibogora Hospital for treatment.
Belyse Uwingabiye, human resources manager at DNG Ltd, the company contracted to build the plant, said about 50 employees had been working on the wall at the time.
Florien Ndahayo, the lead mason on site, described the incident as a tragic accident, noting that the wall had been built in line with soil test results and the approved design.
Security sources confirmed that Gasita left the city in the early hours of September 9, 2025.
His departure is credited with restoring a measure of calm after days of unrest. Reports suggest he was secretly escorted to Bujumbura with the assistance of his bodyguards and Burundian soldiers.
The general’s flight came a day after violent protests in Uvira on September 8 that left three people dead and five others injured, according to South Kivu provincial authorities.
Demonstrators, led by Wazalendo fighters and supported by civilians, first marched to the office of Mayor Kifara Kapenda to demand Gasita’s removal, accusing him of being a potential traitor. They later went to the hotel where he was staying, prompting his guards to open fire on the crowd.
Alexis Byaduniya, a Wazalendo member, said: “His guards panicked when we delivered the message, fearing an attack on the hotel. They responded by shooting at civilians.”
President Félix Tshisekedi appointed Gasita in December 2024 to lead the 33rd Military Region, first stationed in Bukavu. He later moved to Kindu in February 2025 when M23 rebels captured the city. In September 2025, Tshisekedi assigned him to Uvira, a decision strongly opposed by Wazalendo.
Protests began on September 2 when residents learned of his arrival. Roads were blocked, daily activities halted, and demonstrators vowed to continue until Gasita was forced out.
While Wazalendo members alleged that the general is Rwandan, the Congolese army denied this, stressing that he remains Congolese and enjoys government support.
The three-month course was designed to equip participants with the skills necessary to safeguard people and their property, even under challenging situations.
The IGP Namuhoranye highlighted the remarkable transformation made by the trainees during the course, noting improvements in both their technical abilities and their overall professionalism and attitude.
“You now graduate not just with new skills, but with the responsibility and capacity to carry out critical missions under pressure — with discipline, professionalism, and respect for human rights, both at home and abroad,” said IGP Namuhoranye.
He further urged them to maintain the commitment, discipline, and resilience that defined their training as they move into operational duties.
“Let the dedication and professionalism you demonstrated during training continue to guide you in your daily work, wherever your mission may take you.”
The SWAT course is part of the Rwanda National Police (RNP) broader strategy to build a highly skilled, professional, and adaptable police force capable of responding to modern security threats both domestically and in international peacekeeping or in crisis response operations.
A ceremony was held near the dam in the northwestern Benishangul-Gumuz region to celebrate the project’s official completion.
It was attended by senior Ethiopian officials, African leaders and representatives from the African Union and other international organizations, including African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Kenyan President William Ruto, Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.
Construction of the 5,150-megawatt hydropower project began in 2011 on the Blue Nile River near the Sudanese border.
Addressing the event, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed highlighted the dam’s potential to strengthen the national economy by providing stable energy for industry, improving livelihoods and advancing regional energy integration.
“Congratulations to all Ethiopians, both at home and abroad, as well as to our friends around the world, on the historic inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam,” he said.
The project, with a designed total water storage capacity of 74 billion cubic meters, has long been a source of tension among the three Nile-bound countries of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan. While Cairo and Khartoum fear the dam will reduce their water share, Addis Ababa maintains that the project will not harm downstream countries.
“We are firm believers in collective advancement,” Abiy said, reaffirming Ethiopia’s commitment to pursuing growth without undermining its neighbors’ interests.
The Blue Nile, known as the Abay River in Ethiopia, originates from Lake Tana about 570 km north of Addis Ababa and is one of the Nile River’s two main tributaries.
Responding to questions in the National Assembly on Tuesday afternoon, Ramaphosa told lawmakers that South African government representatives are currently in the United States for further formal negotiations.
“Our people, who are in the United States, now are fully fired up with this type of approach,” he said, adding that ministers of trade and industry and international relations will join them to advance the discussions.
“They are meeting a number of stakeholders, including representatives in the administration, legislators, business people, and others,” he added.
The president said that the objective of the continued engagement with the United States is to secure a mutually beneficial trade and investment deal, noting that the government has chosen the route of engagement after consultations with exporters, importers, trade unions, and the private sector.
“Our option is informed by what we want to gain. And what we want to gain is to continue exporting to the United States as much as possible, and to enable companies also to invest in the United States, but to also get U.S. companies to invest in us,” Ramaphosa said.
Meanwhile, the president stressed that South Africa entered talks with significant leverage, pointing to the country’s mineral wealth and processing capacity.
“The discussions that we are having now with the United States also revolve around that the critical minerals that South Africa has, and the capacity that we have to process those minerals … something that we take to the table and use as leverage,” he said
Ramaphosa acknowledged that the U.S. administration can at times be “unpredictable” and “retaliatory,” but said he was confident that the strategy of engagement would deliver positive outcomes.
“It is a strategy that we have opted for, a strategy of engagement, and a strategy which we believe will yield results, notwithstanding the fact that we are obviously dealing with the United States administration that at times is unpredictable and that at times just retaliates — without being supplicants, without going on bended knee, which we have never done and which we will never do,” Ramaphosa said.
“We have said we will not be bullied. We will stand as a sovereign country and negotiate and get the best deal for South Africa. That’s precisely what we do,” he noted.
Citing an airport source, the Polish Press Agency (PAP) said that the airspace over Warsaw Chopin Airport has reopened.
“Due to the restrictions and closure of airspace, disruptions and delays that may last all day should be expected,” Warsaw Airport said. It added that passengers should check the current flight status on the airport website and obtain detailed information directly from the carriers.
According to local media RMF24, the airspace over the airports in Modlin and Rzeszow has also reopened, but remains closed over Lublin.
LOT Polish Airlines spokesman Krzysztof Moczulski announced this morning on platform X that due to the temporary closure of airspace, some LOT flights were redirected to other airports in Poland.
Polish military shot down drones over Poland after Polish airspace was repeatedly violated overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, according to a statement from Polish Armed Forces Operational Command.
According to PAP, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command has activated all necessary procedures. Polish and allied aircraft are operating in Polish airspace, and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest level of readiness.
Poland on Tuesday night closed four airports, including its largest Chopin Airport in Warsaw, due to “unplanned military activity related to ensuring state security,” according to notices posted on the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s website.
The closure of key Polish airports came after Warsaw claimed that “drone-type objects” had violated its airspace from neighboring Ukraine.
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Wednesday that the country’s air force has used weapons against hostile objects that have entered Polish airspace.
Their arrest came as a shock, as they maintain that they are ordinary citizens engaged in private activities with no links to Rwanda’s security services. However, the Burundian prosecution insisted that the women had travelled to Bujumbura with intentions to undermine the country’s security.
In an interview with IGIHE, Nizeyimana explained that she and Nyirahabineza had entered Burundi through the Kobero border with Tanzania. They presented their documents, were asked about their purpose of travel, and explained that they were going to attend a wedding in Bujumbura, even showing an official invitation.
“We boarded a public vehicle, a Probox, and travelled. When we reached Gitega, the driver made a mistake. He was stopped by police but refused to halt when signalled,” she said.
According to her, when the vehicle was later stopped by other police officers, the driver was asked for his documents, and all passengers were ordered to step out. They were accused of being on a mission to destabilise Burundi.
“Nearby, there was a police station. They took us there, searched us, confiscated our phones, but found nothing suspicious. We thought the matter was over and waited to be released. Around 5 p.m., an officer came to interrogate us. We explained everything and hoped to be freed since there was no wrongdoing on our part.”
Instead, Nizeyimana, Nyirahabineza, and the driver were detained overnight. The police told them they were only waiting for fuel to transfer them back to the Rwandan border. The following day, however, an officer returned their luggage except for one item: a wristwatch belonging to Nyirahabineza.
“When we asked about the watch, the officer became angry and accused us of insulting him. He then reported us to his superiors, leading to a decision to keep us detained again.”
Although the watch was later returned, the situation escalated. On the following Sunday, the Prosecutor General came to take their statements. They expected release afterwards but were instead transferred to Gitega Central Prison, where they were held for months without trial.
With the intervention of a human rights organisation, the women were eventually brought before the court in June, facing charges of espionage. The prosecution demanded life imprisonment, but they maintained their innocence.
On August 22, the court acquitted them, but they were not released immediately as the prosecution was given time to appeal. By August 29, with no appeal filed, the Ministry of Justice ordered their release. However, their travel documents, including passports, remained withheld.
Thanks to support from the Embassy of Rwanda in Bujumbura, their documents were returned on September 3, and the following day, they flew back to Rwanda.
Nizeyimana recalled: “On September 4, we went to Bujumbura, where the Embassy bought us flight tickets, and we returned home.”
She also described prison conditions in Gitega, where inmates are provided with raw food such as beans and flour but must buy charcoal to cook.
“It’s not sustainable. If they give you beans and flour but no charcoal, you must buy it yourself. Otherwise, the food they give you cannot last until the next distribution.”
Because mobile phone access inside Gitega Prison is relatively easy, relatives were able to send them money to supplement their diet.
“Overall, we were not treated badly. The country has faced challenges, but friends and family supported us as much as they could.”
She credited their acquittal to divine intervention: “It was God who helped us win the case. On our own, we could never have managed.”
Nizeyimana added that in Gitega Central Prison, there is another young Rwandan man who has been imprisoned since 2021, although she was unable to speak to him in detail about his case.
They made the call during the Second Africa Climate Summit, held in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa from Monday to Wednesday under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development.”
Charting Africa’s common climate future, African leaders at the summit highlighted the potential of African-led solutions in renewable energy, climate adaptation, green growth, and nature-based resilience.
Proposing the launch of the African Climate Innovation Compact, a continent-wide partnership uniting research institutions, leadership, startups, rural communities, and innovators, to African leaders at the summit, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed emphasized that, with the right partnership and investments, Africa can take the lead in solving the global climate crisis.
He said the continent is endowed with unique assets, including a burgeoning young population bursting with creativity and innovation, vast arable land capable of feeding a growing continent and beyond, as well as the fastest-growing solar belt on earth.
“Africa did not cause this crisis, yet Africa can lead in solving it. We have the solutions to restore degraded lands, to capture carbon, and to produce green and clean power. We know what needs to be done,” Abiy said, highlighting the East African country’s own climate action records, including the Green Legacy Initiative that saw 48 billion trees planted since its launch in 2019, as well as critical green infrastructure development initiatives.
According to the Ethiopian prime minister, the proposed climate compact, structured around five pillars of innovation discovery, financing, knowledge development, policy enablement, and public engagement, aims to deliver 1,000 African climate solutions by 2030 across energy, agriculture, water, transport, and resilience by mobilizing African leadership, global partnerships, and private sector investment.
Highlighting the dwindling international climate action commitments, Kenyan President William Ruto stressed the urgent need “to secure Africa’s rightful place in the global economy,” urging African countries to remain steadfast in building a modern, green, and inclusive industrial base.
“Today, climate action risks being sidelined as national security and short-term interests. Development assistance is shrinking,” Ruto said. “It has never been more urgent for Africa to stand together and demonstrate that collaboration delivers prosperity and peace for all of us.”
The Kenyan president emphasized that realizing Africa’s vision of climate-positive growth requires dual actions. Africa must exercise its agency decisively, urgently, and coherently, while the international system must dismantle the structural barriers that continue to hold Africa back.
African leaders at the summit voiced a unified call for the reform of the global financial architecture, as well as for grant-based financial flow and investment commitments, to accelerate Africa’s resilient and green development.
African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, on his part, stressed that Africa needs “genuine cooperation for the implementation of our continent’s adaptation plans by providing financial resources, technology, and expertise.”
Calling for “fair, significant, and predictable” global climate finance, he said the continent’s vulnerability due to climate change, debt burden, and the structural inequalities of the international financial architecture must be redressed through climate justice.
As Africa’s flagship climate gathering, the summit, co-hosted by Ethiopia and the AU, brought together African heads of state and government, ministers, diplomats, experts, and heads of international partners to chart the continent’s common climate future.
