The decision by the United Kingdom to arrest the head of Rwanda’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) is likely to spark a diplomatic row between Kigali and London.
Lt Gen Emmanuel Karenzi Karake’s arrest on Saturday at Heathrow Airport as he prepared to board a plane back home from an official mission was based on indictments on war crimes issued by a Spanish Judge in 2008 on 40 senior Rwandan army officers.
On Tuesday, the British High Commission in Kigali issued a statement confirming the arrest by UK’s Metropolitan Police on June 20 on behalf of the authorities in Spain.
“This was a legal obligation, following the issue of a valid European arrest warrant,” the statement reads in part.
The EastAfrican understands that Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Louise Mushikiwabo has already arrived in London for talks with UK authorities over the arrest of the 54-year old General, who had reportedly travelled to London to attend an international meeting on security.
In a post on her official twitter account Tuesday, Ms Mushikiwabo decried the action by the UK government as based on “lunacy”.
“Western solidarity in demeaning Africans is unacceptable!! It is an outrage to arrest #Rwandan official based on pro-genocidaires lunacy!”
Rwanda’s Minister of Justice Johnston Busingye confirmed on Monday night that Gen Karake was prevented from boarding a flight home, detained and arraigned before a magistrate’s court in Westminster, with another appearance scheduled for Thursday.
Leave a Reply