In a statement issued on Saturday, October 3, 2026, the Office of the Government Spokesperson described Gauthier’s work as a lasting contribution to memory, truth and justice.

“Today we mourn the passing of Dafroza Mukarumongi Gauthier, whose tireless work to bring to justice suspects of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, earned her Rwanda’s Igihango National Order of Outstanding Friendship in 2017,” the statement said.

The government extended condolences to Gauthier’s husband, Alain Gauthier, her family and friends, as well as others whose lives she touched.

Gauthier spent decades working alongside her husband to pursue justice for victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi, particularly by helping efforts to prosecute suspects who had settled in France.

The couple founded the Collectif des parties civiles pour le Rwanda (CPCR) in 2001, an organisation that gathered evidence and testimonies for cases involving suspected Genocide perpetrators living in France.

Their work involved identifying suspects, collecting evidence in Rwanda, speaking with survivors and detainees, and preparing case files for judicial authorities. Gauthier also helped translate Kinyarwanda documents into French for use in court proceedings.

Her work was deeply personal. Born in Butare in 1954, Gauthier was living in France with her husband when the Genocide against the Tutsi began in 1994. She had returned to Kigali in February that year, but her mother urged her to leave as the security situation deteriorated.

Gauthier tried to persuade relatives to leave Rwanda but was unable to convince them. About 80 members of her family were killed during the Genocide.

Following the Genocide, she and Alain began working to ensure that those suspected of involvement would face justice. Their efforts began in 1996 and continued for decades, despite the financial and personal costs involved.

Beyond legal cases, the couple visited schools and universities to educate young people about the Genocide and contributed to efforts to preserve its history and counter Genocide denial.

Gauthier regarded justice as an important way of restoring dignity to victims by ensuring that their identities and experiences were recognised rather than reduced to statistics.

In recognition of their contribution, President Paul Kagame awarded Dafroza and Alain Gauthier the Impeta y’Igihango, Rwanda’s National Order of Outstanding Friendship, in November 2017.

The honour recognises individuals who make outstanding contributions to strengthening friendship and cooperation between Rwanda and other countries, as well as promoting the dignity of Rwanda and Rwandans internationally.

The couple’s decades-long pursuit of justice was documented in the 2023 book Rwanda, à la poursuite des génocidaires, written by journalist Thomas Zribi in collaboration with illustrator Damien Roudeau, with a foreword by artist and writer Gaël Faye.

The Government of Rwanda said Gauthier’s “courage and unwavering commitment to memory, truth and justice leave an enduring legacy.”