Rwanda rejects Spanish warrants
2008-02-10 17:35
Kigali - Rwanda on Sunday called on foreign governments to ignore warrants issued by Spain for 40 army officers wanted on charges of genocide and described them as "bogus and ridiculous indictments".
The government in particular urged Interpol to reject the warrants issued by Spain's top criminal court last week for the arrest of 40 officers including 11 generals.
"The government in Rwanda calls upon Spain and all member states of the United Nations to refuse to give effect to those bogus and ridiculous indictments," said a statement released in Kigali.
"The so-called judicial file is full of hate and racist language, genocide denial and absolute falsehoods," it added.
"It is not proper for a foreign judge to assign himself the duty to police independent and sovereign states."
Include President
Spain's top criminal court last Wednesday announced it will prosecute 40 Rwandan army officers for genocide, crimes against humanity and terrorism related to events that took place between 1994 and 2000, including under the current President Paul Kagame.
Kagame's then rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front in July 1994 put an end to the 100-day slaughter of about 800 000 people - mostly from the Tutsi minority - by Hutu extremist militias and government troops.
Judge Fernando Andreu of Spain's National Court heard testimony from 22 witnesses to the Rwandan atrocities of the 1990s who live in exile, mostly in Europe.
His investigation produced a 182-page indictment against the 40 officers.
Among them are General James Kabarebe, the army chief of staff, General Kayumba Nyamwasa, Rwanda's ambassador to India and Lieutenant Colonel Rugumya Gacinya, a military attache at the Rwandan embassy in Washington.
In its statement, the Kigali government charged that the judge had been manipulated by "enemies of Rwanda".
It offered assurances that Spanish citizens living in Rwanda "have no cause to worry about their security".
The Rwandan army had last week assailed the decision to prosecute the officers as an attempt to tarnish the country's image and said the case would fail.
- AFP