The Rwandan general had been arrested on June 20th, 2015 while boarding a flight back to his country.
Today BBC reports that he has been unconditionally released by the UK judiciary. Initial charges have been dropped.
On June 25th, 2015 he had been ordered by the Westminster Magistrates Courts to remain in UK, report to the police daily, and pay a bail of £1 million.
He is accused by Spain for killing Spanish citizens while supervising military operations in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Why did Spain drop the charges?
If within less than two months the general can walk free, there must have been a great deal of bargaining at a high level in concerned parties, and not necessary the evident ones.
The current situation in the Great Lakes region needs probably the general’s skills more than ever probably for preserving western interests.
President Kagame must’ve promised to deliver for example Burundi plus Eastern Congo to get the release of his general so easily from the perspectives of the millions of Rwandans and Congolese who were his victims.
Could the pressure mounted through AU got also reason of the British judiciary? Probably if one considers the need for UK to preserve its economic influence on the continent while its situation at home requires strong business presence in Africa.
What about the pressure of Washington which hasn’t yet dropped their “guy” in Kigali as long as there is business to finish in the region: 1) increasing US military presence under the disguise of helping to deal with the global terrorist threat; 2) paving the way to US multinationals to access mineral resources.
Whatever happened to come to the release of an alleged criminal, the exact motives , not necessarily those communicated to the general public, are only in the secret of those who took the decision.
What is certain is that, in Karenzi Karake criminal case, countries’ interests (in his case United Kingdom and probably others) will have prevailed over the humanity of his victims, whatever their number or nationality.
Ambrose Nzeyimana
