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News Europe
Rwanda expels German ambassador

The arrest of Kabuye has sparked protests in Rwanda[AFP]

Rwanda has ordered the expulsion of the German ambassador to the country and recalled its own from Berlin after a senior government official was arrested.

Rose Kabuye, the director- general of state protocol in Rwanda, was detained at Frankfurt airport on Sunday, a move that Paul Kagame, the Rwandan president, has called a "violation of sovereignty".

Louise Mushikiwabo, Rwanda's information minister, said: "The Rwandan government told the German ambassador to leave within 48 hours until the arrest of Kabuye is resolved.
  
"The ambassador should leave the country by Thursday," she said.

Kabuye was arrested on an international warrant issued by France in 2006 for her and eight other associates of Kagame.

She is accused of involvement in the shooting down of an aeroplane carrying Juvenal Habyarimana, the Rwandan president, in 1994. His death was one of the sparks that ignited a campaign of genocide in the central African nation, German prosecutors have said.

Diplomatic immunity

Kabuye was in Frankfurt to prepare a visit by the Rwandan president, who is on a tour of European countries.

"Rose's visit to Germany was not private. It was official in that she was doing the work of the Rwandan president," Kagame said.

Kabuye was in Germany to prepare for a visit by the Rwandan president [File: AFP]
German prosecutors said she was not protected by diplomatic immunity as she was not travelling with the president.

When asked about the situation's effect on co-operation with the European Union, Kagame said: "Certainly the arrest of Rose has some implications, foreseen or unforeseen, because in many ways it's a violation of the sovereignty of Rwanda. 

"We will see how we can challenge such actions, which in my view are simply a question of being arrogant and people being a law unto themselves," he said after visiting Kabuye in prison.

Kagame said he expected Germany to extradite her to France within days. Kabuye's lawyer has said she is willing to go before a French judge.

Ties between France and Rwanda have been badly strained since the warrants were issued.

On Monday, hundreds of people, including Kabuye's husband, protested outside the German embassy in Kigali, chanting "Free Rose, Free Rose".

The German government has said it was obliged to act on the arrest warrant. 

Kagame was the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front when Habyarimana's aircraft was shot down in 1994. His movement eventually defeated the government's Hutu militias to end the mass killings of Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
 Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 13
 
Sherpa
Canada 		11/11/2008
double standards
I would love to see the rolls reversed here and a Black country arrest a white diplomat. There'd be more special forces soldiers on the ground before you could utter the word, 'UN'. Disgustingly unbalanced as usual!!

David
United States 		13/11/2008
Well done, Germany!
It is a good standard. People accused of genocide should be arrested wherever they are, whether they are Germans in Argentina who planned the holocaust, or foul women guilty of facilitating genocide in Rwanda. Sherpa, the fact that Europeans arrested an African isn't inherently wrong, even if it has been abused historically - Kabuye has to be tried. It's not like Germany protested when Israel arrested Adolf Eichmann, gosh. I am very disturbed by some people's views.

Jimmy
Tanzania 		13/11/2008
Germany is arrogant
Yes, this is real injustice. How can you arrest somebody who is top ranking from the state house? Is it just because the Westerners call themselves superpowers? I dont believe such a thing, Rose is absolutely innocent, is it just because she is a lady? As for Germany, what about Hitler? He did lots of brutal things, was he arrested? Was he only alone on the front killing innocent people? I'm sure there are some more people like Hitler in Germany who need to be put in detention.

Mzoxolo Mpolase
South Africa 		15/11/2008
Here we go again..
This is ridiculous, the West (Or at least Germany) is really abusing smaller states and disrespecting their leaders!

Roland
Afghanistan 		16/11/2008
[King] Davids standards -)
"It is a good standard. People accused of genocide should be arrested wherever they are" What about arresting Dr. Henry Kissinger for Chile, Canbodja and Vienam? Not so good idea anymore ..?

kibangou
United Kingdom 		13/11/2008
double standard indeed!!

K.A.
Afghanistan 		13/11/2008
Rose Kabuye's detention in Germany
I agree with Sherpa from Canada and Kibangou from the UK. It really is a Western double standard. How many of the people who incited and committed the Rwandan genocide are still at large and roaming in Europe and other parts of the world? A David from US has supported Rose's detention to which I disagree. I wonder how he would feel if President Bush was detained while on a visit to another country for the crimes he committed in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere? Germany's action is nothing but racist.

James
Cameroon 		13/11/2008
Double standards!
When you take sides in a genocide case, I believe there's a problem. The fact that genocide existed against a people, doesn't make any explanation valid. Also, I believe Ms. Kabuye is innocent of the charges, because to date no one has explained how the rebels crossed 18 roadblocks into a fortified area, protected by the French army and presidential guard, in order to fire those missiles. Time will tell. Let the trial start. Clearly, there's a lot of work to do. God bless Rwanda. A lot.

Wilkins
Kenya 		13/11/2008
Double standards
How many times has Kabuga visited the EU countries without him being arrested? How many Western diplomats in Africa behave as if they are above the law in the name of promoting democratic ideals in impoverished African states? These are clearly double standards by the West.

anthony brown
Ireland 		14/11/2008
Next is Robert Mugabe
Why is it that you guys left Robert Mugabe alone when he came over to the UN meeting in the US and even in Portugal for the meeting there? He killed 30,000 innocent people in 1983 to 1987 in the gukurawundi, as well as the MDC people who till this day he allegedly kills and puts in prison as he wishes. So who is on the good side? Her or Mugabe? Please do something about this next time; lock him up and throw the keys in shark infested waters like where the great white shark lives.

Murangwa BFisher
Uganda 		15/11/2008
Why should the so called Western states try to ruin what a good government is doing? Am not really surprised by this because I believe both France and Germany are all the same. The French responsible for the Rwandan genocide should be prepared because I think they are the next to go behind bars.

Fabian
Sudan 		16/11/2008
Unfair, double standard???
Free Bemba! Free Lubanga! Stop hunting Kony! Defer the case against Bashir! Freedom for Karadzic - oh, no, stop wrong, he is white. Burn him! Get that continent in order, folks, and we will have less Africans wanted for war crimes and genocide. And don't pull the race card against justice. Thank you, Germany for having guts! And by the way,. maybe one should look into international law before commenting on alleged violation of diplomatic immunity...

miller
Afghanistan 		20/11/2008
Keep it up Germany!
Where were the pundits when they raped my mother and sister? Where were the naysayers when they left me without earlobes, and my brothers and sisters for dead! Let justice take its course, demonstrate, but let justice have its way.....do Kenyans a favor too.

 
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