The $5.8m Case Against JMV Ndagijimana, Rwanda’s First Post-1994 Foreign Minister
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At just 33 years old, Jean Marie Vianney Ndagijimana was appointed Rwanda’s first post-genocide Minister of Foreign Affairs in July 1994.
Young, ambitious, and well-versed in international diplomacy, he had previously served as Rwanda’s ambassador to France under President Juvénal Habyarimana’s regime.
At a time when Rwanda was reeling from one of the darkest chapters in its history—the Genocide against the Tutsi—Ndagijimana’s appointment to the new Government of National Unity symbolized both a generational shift and an attempt to project continuity amid chaos.
Yet, beneath the promise and prestige, there lingered troubling questions about his past, and within just two months, his tenure unraveled in scandal.
Altogether, Jean Marie Vianney Ndagijimana has been linked to the misappropriation of more than $2.7 million in public funds throughout the time he was an official of the State of Rwanda. This staggering figure includes money he allegedly stole during his brief time as Foreign Minister, as well as funds embezzled during his tenure as Rwanda’s ambassador to France.
The Financial Trail from 1990
Based on the documented amounts, here is a consolidated estimate of the total funds linked to Jean Marie Vianney Ndagijimana’s misconduct:
$187,000: Allegedly stolen in October 1994 during his short tenure as Foreign Minister.
1.685 million French francs (FF): Proceeds from the unauthorized sale of a state-owned house in Paris (approx. $280,000 USD at early 1990s exchange rates).
700,000 FF for fake repairs + 750,000 FF for notary fees claimed to justify the house sale (approx. $240,000 USD) – considered part of the scheme.
75,200 FF in unpaid staff salary redirected to his own account (approx. $12,000 USD).
Participation in a larger embezzlement involving nearly $2 million USD for military procurement, led by Col. Ntahobari, during his time as ambassador.
Estimated total: over USD$ 2.7 million linked directly or indirectly to Ndagijimana through theft, mismanagement, or fraudulent schemes. Considering inflationary and time span factors, this amount is about $5.8m in today’s exchange rate (approximately Rwf 8.4billion).
The most glaring charge against Ndagijimana concerns his alleged theft of $187,000 from government coffers. This accusation, made public on October 19, 1994, by then Prime Minister Faustin Twagiramungu—his political ally and fellow native of Cyangugu (current day Rusizi)—was widely reported by international media including AFP and The New York Times.
The details again came up in a major speech on Sunday by Dr Jean Damascene Bizimana, the Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, who was addressing Kwibuka 31 Commemoration for politicians killed during the genocide. The annual commemoration, which marks end of the commemoration week, April 13, takes place at Rebero Genocide Memorial Site, often attended by the highest ranking officials in Rwanda.
Although Ndagijimana often threatened legal action against those who repeated the claim, he conspicuously never pursued a case against ex-PM Twagiramungu. Instead, he filed a defamation lawsuit in France against Léon Ngarukiye, then director of cabinet at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who had handed him the money at Kigali International Airport.
The case backfired: on November 6, 2023, a French court ruled in favor of Ngarukiye, confirming the credibility of the theft claims.
Diplomatic Office Turned Embezzlement Hub
Beyond this documented embezzlement, a deeper layer of corruption stretches back to his earlier diplomatic role as Rwanda’s Ambassador to France from 1990 to 1994.
According to a government audit conducted between July 31 and August 5, 1995, Ndagijimana exploited the political chaos in Rwanda to execute a campaign of high-level misappropriation and fraud. One major revelation was his unauthorized sale of a state-owned residence in Paris.
Purchased by the Rwandan government in 1989 for 3.75 million French francs, Ndagijimana sold it in September 1992 for just 1.685 million francs, claiming fire damage as justification and pocketing the proceeds.
Despite official protest from then-Minister of Foreign Affairs Boniface Ngulinzira, who ordered the funds be placed in a blocked account, Ndagijimana ignored the directive.
His fraudulent practices extended to personal staff. He allegedly diverted salary payments meant for his Ethiopian domestic worker by directing embassy funds into his personal bank account and never forwarding the wages. This case prompted a formal complaint from the affected worker to the Rwandan government.
The Whistleblowers and the Paper Trail
Equally damning was his leadership culture within the Paris embassy, which became a hub of systemic theft under his tenure. Senior diplomats including Martin Ukobizaba, JMV Muhuri, and others are alleged to have looted embassy properties, sold off government equipment, and refused to vacate official residences after their terms ended.
One of the most egregious accomplices was Colonel Sébastien Ntahobari, Rwanda’s military attaché in France between 1992 and December 1994. An audit revealed that nearly $2 million earmarked for weapons procurement was embezzled by Ntahobari and his network, with strong indications of coordination between him, Ndagijimana, and Augustin Bizimana, then Minister of Defense.
Support for these allegations can be found in an exposé published in Le Courrier du Peuple on June 25, 1993, which featured handwritten testimonies from embassy staff, including JMV Muhuri.
These statements accused Ndagijimana of illegally selling state property, misusing public funds, and sheltering a network of corrupt operatives within the embassy.
The revelations culminated in an internal embassy revolt, leading to widespread denunciation of Ndagijimana’s actions in both private communications and public outlets.
Genocide Denial and Political Reinvention
But beyond financial impropriety, Ndagijimana’s post-exile political activities in France, have cast an even darker shadow. Alongside fellow genocide deniers like Pascal Ndengejeho, Ndagijimana has been accused of distorting the historical narrative of the genocide, often advancing the discredited theory of a “second genocide” allegedly committed by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).
Ndagijimana currently operates a YouTube Channel “La Voix des Grands Lacs” where he peddles his ‘second genocide’ narrative on a daily basis. The channel has over 42,000 subscribers, nearly all in the Rwandan diaspora, who appreciate his ethnic extremist views.
These efforts, often framed as human rights advocacy, aim to diminish or deny the systematic extermination of Tutsis in 1994. Such rhetoric—especially when espoused by former officials—fuels genocide ideology and undermines reconciliation efforts.
Ndagijimana’s record reflects a dangerous blend of personal corruption and ideological revisionism. As Rwanda seeks justice and historical clarity, his case serves as a powerful reminder of the kind of leadership that steered the country into crisis.
The institutions he betrayed—diplomatic posts, transitional governance, and the very ideals of justice—are the same ones now working to build a stronger, more accountable nation.
In highlighting the actions of individuals like Ndagijimana, Rwandan leaders have emphasized the need for vigilance in political leadership. His story is not merely a tale of corruption; it is an indictment of a broader system that once enabled impunity and allowed state actors to thrive while the nation bled.
Rwanda’s commitment to truth, justice, and transparency demands that such histories are neither forgotten nor sanitized. Ndagijimana’s fall from grace is thus both a cautionary tale and a call to uphold integrity at the highest levels of public service.
