Tributes Honor Dafroza Gauthier, Genocide Justice Campaigner

Rwandans, government officials and various organisations sent tributes to Dafroza Mukarumongi Gauthier , a prominent campaigner for justice for victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, who died in France on Saturday, October 3. ALSO READ : Govt mourns Dafroza Gauthier, lauds her justice campaign Gauthier, who died at 72, had dedicated decades to helping survivors pursue justice against people accused of taking part in the Genocide. Her work earned her national recognition in 2017 when President Paul Kagame awarded her and her husband, Alain Gauthier, the Igihango national honour for their contribution to bringing Genocide suspects to justice. The couple did their work the organisation they founded called the Collectif des parties civiles pour le Rwanda (CPCR). Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn Organisations that worked alongside the Gauthiers described her as a determined advocate who refused to allow victims and survivors to be forgotten. ALSO READ : Alain Gauthier on his determination to pursue genocide fugitives Aegis Trust, an organisation involved in the preservation of Genocide memory, said Dafroza Gauthier had spent decades standing with survivors and bringing Genocide perpetrators to justice. "She stood beside survivors, refused to let silence win, and pursued justice for those who thought they could escape it," the organization said in a statement. "We were honoured to stand alongside her in that fight. Her courage will not be forgotten, and her legacy lives on in everyone who keeps going." ALSO READ : Dafroza Gauthier, campaigner for justice for Genocide victims, dies at 72 The Rwandan Community of France, which she previously led, said her contribution had left them with a responsibility to continue the work she championed. "Her passing compels us to carry on her fight," said Christophe Renzaho, president of the community, adding that "memory must be passed on" and "truth must be defended." ALSO READ : France: 36 Genocide suspects under active investigation The Rwandan embassy in France also paid tribute to Gauthier, saying her and her husband's commitment to Rwanda and justice had left a lasting mark on the country's collective memory. "Their work helped bring to light genocidaires who had been living with impunity in France and other European countries, and enabled several of them to finally be brought to justice and convicted," the embassy said. ALSO READ : It's every Rwandan's role to ensure that justice is served -- ACPCR president "Through her courage, determination, and dedication, Dafroza Gauthier helped ensure the voices of survivors were heard and defended the memory of the genocide's victims," the embassy said, describing her death as "a great loss for Rwanda." ALSO READ : French activists want Genocide suspect extradited The association of Genocide survivors Ibuka said Gauthier's work had helped advance the pursuit of justice for perpetrators of the Genocide against the Tutsi, describing her as a woman whose fight would live on. Jean-Damascène Bizimana, the Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, said Dafroza Gauthier's work gave survivors greater capacity to seek justice for the destruction of their families. He said the CPCR helped ensure that people accused of Genocide crimes who had fled to France could not avoid accountability. "Some of these perpetrators have already been sentenced by French courts, and every individual brought to trial was found guilty of their crimes," Bizimana said. ALSO READ : French rights group, local partner in renewed efforts to bring Genocide suspects to book He described the pursuit of accountability for the Genocide against the Tutsi as one of Gauthier's defining achievements. "The fight for justice, ensuring accountability for the crime of the Genocide against the Tutsi, is a crowning achievement," he said. ALSO READ : Activists group vows to pursue fugitives in France Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperatio