Dafroza Gauthier: The Return to Paradise of a Heroine

Dafroza Gauthier, co-founder of the Collectif des parties civiles pour la France/Rwanda (CPCR) and a leading figure in the fight against impunity for perpetrators of the 1994 Tutsi genocide in Rwanda, died at the age of 72 on Saturday, October 3, 2026, in Reims, following a battle with cancer.

Alongside her husband Alain Gauthier, whom she married in 1977, she established the Collectif des parties civiles pour le Rwanda in 2001 to track down alleged génocidaires hiding in France.

Dubbed the 'Klarsfeld of Rwanda' in reference to the renowned Nazi hunters, the couple tirelessly scoured the hills of Rwanda and visited prisons to gather testimonies.

Their voluntary efforts have sparked nearly all legal complaints filed in France against genocide suspects, leading to the definitive conviction of multiple individuals under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

A true heroine has passed away an unwavering advocate for justice and the fight against impunity. Her death comes as Congolese Tutsis face the exact same existential threat in eastern DRC.

Since 2021, Félix Tshisekedi's regime in Kinshasa has waged a campaign of ethnic cleansing and hatred targeting Congolese Tutsis. Allied with the remnants of the FDLR génocidaires, the Burundian army, and Wazalendo militias, the Congolese military is engaged in atrocious abuses against Congolese Tutsis in eastern DRC.

Once again, this unfolds under the complicit gaze and silence of the international community, reminiscent of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis of Rwanda.

Dafroza Gauthier has completed her earthly journey, having fought a noble battle on behalf of the thousands of Tutsis killed by human cruelty. Other Dafrozas will rise one day to fight for the victims of genocidal atrocities against Tutsis in eastern DRC, whose masterminds are well known.