BNP Paribas accused of complicity in Rwandan genocide
Sherpa, the Collectif des Parties Civiles pour le Rwanda (CPCR) and the Ibuka France have filed a complaint against the French bank BNP Paribas of complicity to commit genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes which took place in Rwanda in 1994. The bank would have allegedly allowed two money transfers amounting to 1.3 million dollars from the BNP account of the National Rwanda Bank to a Swiss UBP bank account belonging to the owner of a South African arms company.
The money transfers took place on the 14th and 17th of June 1994, a month after the UN Security Council had vote an arms embargo to Rwanda, which was in the middle of the 100 days genocide which shook the world. This transaction was allegedly preceded of an agreement between the Hutu coronel Mr. Bagosora, who was later convicted for genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and Mr. Elhers, owner of a South African arms company.
The 80 tons of arms purchased through this transaction were allegedly introduced through Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo). Other banking entities such as the Lambert Brussel Bank, had in fact previously refused to violate the embargo and carry out this transaction, having declared to be fully aware of the destination of these funds and its contribution to the genocide.
According to Sherpa, “if such facts were proven, this complaint would highlight the potential responsibility of investors in terms of war crimes and more generally in terms of violations of human rights”. The organisation also highlights, for the future, that if the duty of care law recently passed in France was applied to banks, it would prevent the implications of investors in such violations.
