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Daughter of Rwandan 'Genocide Hero' Pleads for His Release

Salem Solomon

   WASHINGTON - On Monday morning, Carine Kanimba, the daughter of Rwandan
   activist Paul Rusesabagina knew something was wrong. Her phone had been
   buzzing with questions from friends who were alarmed by what they had
   seen in the news. She turned on the television and found out why. "We
   saw that he was in the hands of the Rwandan government and in
   handcuffs. That's how we found out."

   The 66-year-old who was depicted in the film "[1]Hotel Rwanda" had been
   [2]arrested in Dubai and brought to Rwanda's capital, Kigali.
   Accompanied by police officers at a press conference, he was charged
   with sponsoring rebel groups and terrorism-related offenses among other
   things. He was seen at the offices of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau,
   the country's national law enforcement agency.

   "He has been the subject of an international arrest warrant. So he has
   to answer charges of serious crime, arson, kidnap and murder
   perpetrated against unarmed Rwandan civilians on Rwandan territory,
   including a place called Nyabimata [Rwanda's Southern Province],
   Nyaruguru district in June 2018 and in the Nyungwe, Nyamagabe District
   in December 2018," RIB acting spokesperson Thierry Murangira told
   Daybreak Africa, English to Africa's radio program.

   The government accuses Rusesabagina of sponsoring two main opposition
   groups, the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change, which Rusesabagina
   co-founded, and PDR-Ihumure.

   "He has been sponsoring extremists '¦ those groups who are operating in
   various regions and abroad. Where has he denied that?" Murangira asked.
   Murangira would not explain how Rusesabagina was arrested, saying "we
   won't disclose too much information about where he was arrested, but I
   can tell you, he was arrested through international cooperation."

     The family of Paul Rusesabagina accused the government of kidnapping
     him after two police officers brought the 66-year-old to a press
     conference at the headquarters of the Rwanda Investigations Bureau
     [3]https://t.co/TParYImMnY [4]pic.twitter.com/snuWcPdnc8
     -- Reuters (@Reuters) [5]September 1, 2020

   Authorities in the United Arab Emirates later denied involvement in
   Rusesabagina's arrest and said he left "on a private jet bound for the
   East African country," according to [6]media reports.

   Rusesabagina's travel to Dubai doesn't surprise his family. As part of
   his activism, he travels widely and speaks at various institutions said
   his daughter, whom he adopted after she was orphaned in the genocide.
   What was clear to the family is that he didn't plan to go to Kigali.

   "Going to Rwanda was never part of the plan. And that's why we believe
   that he was forcefully taken and brought to Rwanda," she said.

   Rusesabagina is a Belgian citizen and holds a U.S. green card. It is
   unclear how he was taken from Dubai to Kigali.

References

   1. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395169/
   2. https://www.voanews.com/africa/rwandan-hotelier-arrested-terrorism
   3. https://t.co/TParYImMnY
   4. https://t.co/snuWcPdnc8
   5. https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1300881109027233792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   6. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/02/africa/paul-rusesabagina-rwanda-arrest-intl/index.html

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