According to the French news agency AFP, Jacques Mungwarere's arrest was the result of a six-year man hunt that led investigators from Rwanda to the United States and Canada.
A citizen tipped off the police as to Mungwarere's presence in the country, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told AFP.
Mungwarere's first appearance in court is slated for next Thursday in Ottawa. He is the second person to be indicted for war crimes in Canada under the "universal jurisdiction" mandate of the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, which came into effect in October 2000.
Last month, Rwandan militia leader Desire Munyaneza was found guilty of crimes against humanity.
He was sentenced on October 29 to life in prison, the maximum penalty under Canadian law, after being found guilty earlier this year of genocide and crimes against humanity, including rapes and murders in Butare prefecture between April and July 1994.
Munyaneza will not be eligible for parole before 25 years in prison. His lawyers announced their intention to appeal.
ER/GF
© Hirondelle News Agency