Five fugitives suspected of taking part in the 1994 Genocide against Tusti are under investigation by War Crimes Unit of the Metropolitan Police, the force’s spokesman said.
The investigation comes after unit received the warrants from Rwanda last year over allegations relating to the genocide 25 years ago.
An estimated 1,000,000 Rwandans died in 100 days of slaughter and ethnic cleansing between April and July 1994.
A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman confirmed the force’s war crimes unit, part of the counter-terrorism command, received a referral from Rwandan authorities in January 2018.
It related to five individuals in the UK and allegations of genocide offences in Rwanda dating from around 1994, she said in a statement.
“Relevant documentation to this was assessed by the war crimes unit and officers were also deployed to Rwanda as part of our initial work to scope the allegations,” the spokeswoman added.
“As a result, we have subsequently commenced an investigation which will initially involve a review of all the documentation transferred from Rwanda.
“Given the complexities involved, this is expected to be a protracted and lengthy process. Inquiries continue.”
According to the The Daily Mirror the suspects are; Celestin Mutabaruka, 63, from Kent; Vincent Brown, also known as Vincent Bajinya, 59, from Islington, north London; Celestin Ugirashebuja, 66, from Essex; Charles Munyaneza, 61, from Bedford; and Emmanuel Nteziryayo, from Manchester.
All five deny the allegations against them and involvement in the Genocide.
In July 2017 five men with the same names, all of Hutu ethnicity, had an extradition bid to have them returned to Rwanda blocked by the UK High Court.
At the time judges agreed there was a real risk they would be denied a fair trial if they were returned.
On Sunday, Rwanda and the world marked the 25-year anniversary since more than 1,000,000 people were killed in one of the world’s worst genocides since the Second World War.
