Kigali — Rwanda's president Paul Kagame has said the recent indictments issued by a Spanish judge against 40 senior Rwandan army officers 'means nothing' to him and his government.
Reacting to a question by a journalist asked during today's presidential press conference on his take on the issue, Mr Kagame responded by saying, "If I met the indicting judge I'd tell him to go to hell."
This is the first time President Kagame vehemently reacts to the indictments ever since they were issued almost a month ago. Judge Fernando Andreou Merelles of the Spanish Central Instruction Court recently issued indictments against 40 senior officers of the Rwanda Defence Forces, (RDF) formerly of the Rwanda Patriotic Army, (RPA) on allegations of committing crimes against genocide after the 1994 Rwanda Genocide.
Indictments came
Judge Andreou said the indictments came after investigations launched in 2005 into the slaying of four Spaniards who worked for Doctors Without Borders between 1990 and 2002. In a rather angry tone Mr Kagame said Rwanda's voice on the issue would inevitably be heard.
"For us these indictments mean nothing. If you look at the file, they are not indicting the individual. They are indicting the RPF, what they call the ruling party. All the 40 on that list were under my command. Is it possible that they all committed the same crime on these Spanish people," Mr Kagame angrily asked.
"There is a reason behind that and it has a connection. Some people in the west think they own us or have the authority over us. That is why some judge sits in Spain and indicts Kagame. He has no jurisdiction over us, over Rwanda. If I met him today I would tell him to go to hell," Mr Kagame added.
Mr Kagame led RPA in a liberation struggle that lasted four years from 1990 to 1994.
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Kagame is very sick. He is pround because of support from some british and USA authorities. But he has to know that British and USA can not sacrify their bother Spain because of him. The French people says that between brother and friend the choice is clear. If Kagame is clever, he can get a lesson from his predecessors like Charles Taylor, Mobutu, Saddam...who were Bitish and USA's fruits. We support Spanish judge in his pertinent decision. Kagame knows where he put the four millions souls and bodies of Hutu and Congolese people. We ask Spanish judge to find too the one who shot on President Habyarimana's plane in 1994. That person is the cause of genocide in Rwanda.
Neil/Australia
Kagame is not like Mobutu or Taylor, You may have some reasons to hate him, but it's obvious that Kagame is one of the people African continent needs. Rwanda now is developing quickly and it's one of the safest place in Africa even in the world. Everybody made mistake may be Kagame did some mistake, but As an African I'm proud of a leader like him.
Paul Kagame is certainly the only living president of a country who can say so uncommon words " Go to hell". Why? He has to be polite sometimes even if he can not help himself!
But you have your own reasons to be proud for a such african president. ................
I strongly disagree with those who oppose President Kagame regarding this issue. Mr President you're very right. The spanish Judge did not intervene when the million of rwandans people were dying but now when people starting to stand on thier own feet that's when this judge's up to destroy the rwanda's hope.Mr. President am on your side.I am also tied of those judges such french judge and anyone who want to rule rwanda as they did before.They must know that Rwandans are educated too and also some of them are judges too.There is no jurdication for spanish and french judges in Rwanda.If these judges have any problem with that,they should press the charges in Rwandan court.
There`s undoubtedly no question that Africa needs some strong minded leaders, but on the other hand we don`t need idiots. "Between brother and friend, the choice is clear". This seems to escape a few "African Heros" and unfortunately Kagame happens to be on that list of those rather cluesless Western Protégés. Does he really think that some judge in Spain sat down and made up something like that? Seriously !!!
He should learn diplomacy today, especially now that even some of his close body guards denounce here and there his attrocities!
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