Dafroza Mukarumongi Gauthier, whose work helped advance genocide-related prosecutions in France for more than two decades, was remembered at her funeral in Reims on Monday, October 12, with President Paul Kagame and Ibuka paying tribute to her commitment to justice and the memory of victims.
Gauthier died on October 3, aged 72. She co-founded the Collectif des parties civiles pour le Rwanda (CPCR) with her husband, Alain Gauthier, in 2001, helping build cases against people suspected of participating in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi who were living in France.
At the funeral, Rwanda’s ambassador to France, François Nkulikiyimfura, delivered a message from Kagame expressing condolences to her family, friends and colleagues.
The President said Gauthier would remain in the hearts of Rwandans for her determination to ensure that those responsible for the genocide faced justice.
He also praised her decades of work to honour the victims, support survivors and challenge impunity, saying her example would continue to guide future generations.
Gauthier was born in Butare, southern Rwanda, in 1954 and later settled in France, where she married Alain Gauthier. The genocide took the lives of about 80 members of her family, a loss that became a driving force behind her work for accountability.
The couple began pursuing justice for genocide victims in the 1990s and established CPCR in 2001. The organisation collected witness testimonies and other evidence in Rwanda, prepared case files and supported legal action against suspects in France.
According to tributes published after her death, CPCR’s work helped bring cases before French courts, resulting in trials and convictions of people involved in the genocide. The organisation also helped ensure that survivors’ accounts were heard in court.
Ibuka, the umbrella organisation representing genocide survivors, described Gauthier as an exceptional advocate for truth and justice. Its tribute highlighted her work to document survivors’ experiences, explain testimonies in Kinyarwanda and educate young people about the genocide.
Ibuka also noted that Gauthier had endured profound personal loss while continuing to challenge genocide denial and minimisation.
In 2017, Kagame awarded Dafroza and Alain Gauthier the Igihango national honour in recognition of their contribution to justice and cooperation.
The funeral service was held at Saint-André Church in Reims, followed by a private cremation and a public gathering, according to the CPCR.
Her husband and the organisation have said they will continue the work she helped build, pursuing justice for survivors and preserving the memory of those killed in the genocide.
