Joyce Namutebi
1 December 2008
Kampala — THE African Parliamentary Union (APU) members have called for the unconditional release of Rose Kabuye, a senior Rwandan official arrested in Germany last month.
"By virtue of the principle of equal sovereignty of all the members of the United Nations Organisation, abuse of the principle of international law constitutes, not only a violation of the sovereignty of a country like Rwanda ..but also a violation of the principle by which a country cannot exercise its power over the territory of another," the MPs resolved.
This was at the end of the 31st APU conference held at the Commonwealth Resort, Munyonyo. The conference was attended by African Speakers and parliamentarians from about 40 countries.
Kabuye, who is President Paul Kagame's chief of protocol, was arrested following a warrant for her alleged involvement in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
She was extradited to France, where although she is not in jail, she is not allowed to leave the country without the judge's permission.
The parliamentarians requested the African Union (AU) to take up the issue of Kabuye's arrest by virtue of its prerogative and to adopt appropriate mechanisms aimed at preserving the sovereignty of its member states.
The MPs also called for the cancellation of illegal indictments and arrest warrants issued against Senegalese officials.
The MPs urged the AU to urgently reinforce its Uganda and Burundi peace-keepers stationed in Somalia.
On the DR Congo, the conference, asked the countries involved in the civil war to respect the ceasefire.
Participants also discussed problems plaguing the continent and reached some resolutions.
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