Rwanda Mourns Genocide Justice Campaigner Dafroza Gauthier, Dead at 72
Dafroza Mukarumongi Gauthier, a France-based campaigner who spent decades helping to pursue suspects of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, died in France on 3 October 2026 at the age of 72, following an illness. The New Times reported that day that the Government of Rwanda had mourned her death and commended her work.
In a statement, the Office of the Government Spokesperson described her efforts as a lasting contribution to memory, truth and justice. Gauthier lived in France with her husband Alain Gauthier; over many years the couple gathered evidence and pressed for judicial proceedings against genocide suspects hiding in Europe, becoming widely known among survivor communities.
Rwandan officials, organisations and members of the public paid tribute in the days that followed, according to local media. Her family later announced that donations made in her memory would be directed to genocide survivors most in need, in line with the work she pursued during her life.
October is Rwanda's month of unity and resilience, the national period of reflection in which news of her death was announced. Judicial processes arising from the genocide continue inside Rwanda and abroad, with further procedural developments in the United Kingdom later this month.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：基加利种族灭绝纪念馆园区。摄影：Dave Proffer，CC BY 2.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
