Rwanda on Friday recalled its ambassador to France and hinted it might break diplomatic relations with Paris in a row over arrest warrants issued by a French judge related to the 1994 genocide.
A day after more than 25 000 people rallied in Kigali to denounce France, alleged French complicity in the genocide and the judge who issued the warrants, Rwanda’s foreign minister accused Paris of trying to destroy his government.
”We have recalled our ambassador to Paris; we don’t see why he should be there at this point,” Foreign Minister Charles Murigande said, adding that Kigali had not yet decided whether to send the envoy back.
”We want some consultations with him and we’ll see what happens later,” he told the media. ”France is intent on destroying our government. We do not see any need for keeping any relationship with a hostile country.”
His comments followed the rare government-authorised rally at which protesters railed against France and its top anti-terrorism judge, who has suggested Rwandan President Paul Kagame be prosecuted over the death of the country’s former leader, whose assassination set off the genocide.
As the demonstrators gathered at Rwanda’s Amahoro National Stadium on Thursday, word emerged in Paris that the judge, Jean-Louis Bruguiere, had signed international arrest warrants for nine Kagame aides as part of his probe into the death of ex-Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana.
Kagame has dismissed Bruguiere’s calls as ”rubbish” and said a trial should be opened against France, which he accuses of abetting the 100-day genocide in which minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus were targeted by Hutu extremists.
On Friday, Murigande said Bruguiere’s report into the April 6 1994 downing of the plane carrying Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira was ”hollow” and politically motivated.
”We have reviewed Brugiuere’s report,” he said. ”It is so hollow that we are surprised that any institution like the court in Paris would authorise indictments on the basis of such a report.
”That confirms our fears that this is a political,” Murigande said.
About 800 000 people were slaughtered in the genocide that followed Habyarimana’s death and Kagame has repeatedly accused France of playing a role by training and supporting the radical Hutu militia blamed for most of the killings.
Paris adamantly denies the charges. — Sapa-AFP