A 65-year-old Rwandan national living in north London has become the first person in the United Kingdom to face charges linked to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Dr Vincent Brown, previously known as Dr Vincent Bajinya, is accused of one count of conduct ancillary to genocide and six counts of conduct ancillary to murder as a crime against humanity.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) alleges that Brown encouraged and directed others to carry out killings and acts of genocide.
He is scheduled to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The CPS said the charges followed an assessment of evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police’s War Crimes Team.
Prosecutors said the evidence met the required legal threshold for criminal proceedings.
The police investigation began in September 2019 following a request from the Rwandan government concerning alleged crimes committed in Kigali’s Rugenge district during April 1994.
The Rwandan genocide lasted about 100 days, during which an estimated 800,000 people, mainly members of the Tutsi minority and politically moderate Hutus, were killed by Hutu extremists.
The violence also targeted political opponents regardless of their ethnic background.
Following the genocide, forces dominated by Tutsis that seized power were accused of killing thousands of Hutus in retaliatory attacks.
The Metropolitan Police described the case as the result of a complex investigation spanning seven years.
Commander Helen Flanagan, who leads Counter Terrorism Policing London, said Britain would not provide refuge for people suspected of involvement in international crimes.
She added that investigators would continue pursuing allegations of genocide and other serious atrocities through the legal system.
Police said several other inquiries involving individuals in Britain suspected of offences connected to the Rwandan genocide are still underway.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong