Page 6 - aruba-today-20200926

A6 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 26 September 2020
'Hotel Rwanda' hero admits backing rebels, denies violence

By IGNATIUS SSUUNA was denied and now he is
Associated Press appealing that rejection.
KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — The The denial of bail further
man portrayed as a hero in alarmed his family, which
the movie "Hotel Rwanda" along with some human
has admitted in court that rights and legal groups has
he backed a rebel group, expressed concern that his
but denied that he support- arrest is the latest example
ed any violence or killings. of Rwanda targeting critics.
Paul Rusesabagina, in a "We have no hope that he
pink prison uniform for his can be given fair justice in
bail hearing on Friday, Rwanda and ask for his im-
told the court in Kigali, the mediate release," daugh-
capital, that he helped to ter Carine Kanimba said
form the National Libera- on social media earlier this
tion Front in order to assist month.
Rwandan refugees, but He also distanced him-
said he never supported self from the activities of a
violence. rebel movement that is the
The judge has postponed armed wing of his opposi-
ruling on his application for tion political platform, say-
bail until Oct. 2. ing he was not the move-
Rusesabagina, a Belgian ment's leader and that the
citizen and U.S. perma- Paul Rusesabagina, center, whose story inspired the film "Hotel Rwanda", wears a pink prison uni- group's members should
nent resident who has form as he appears for a bail hearing at a court in the capital Kigali, Rwanda Friday, Sept. 25, 2020. be held responsible. The
been a prominent critic of Associated Press armed wing has claimed
President Paul Kagame, is responsibility for deadly at-
charged with 13 offenses tion. He was represented in Dubai was going to Bu- indicated that Rusesabagi- tacks in Rwanda.
that also include financing by Rwandan lawyers, Da- jumbura, Burundi, where he na may have been tricked Rusesabagina is credited
terrorism, complicity in mur- vid Rugaza and Emaline had planned to speak to into boarding the plane, with saving more than 1,000
der, recruiting child soldiers, Nyembo, provided by the churches at a pastor's invi- adding; "It was actually lives during Rwanda's 1994
and forming a rebel group. Rwandan government. A tation. flawless!" genocide that killed some
If convicted, he faces a team of international law- Instead, Rusesabagina Human Rights Watch has 800,000 Tutsis and moder-
maximum of 25 years in yers have said they will rep- stepped out of the plane asserted that Rusesaba- ate Hutus. For his efforts he
prison. It's not clear when resent Rusesabagina, but and was surrounded by gina was "forcibly disap- was awarded the U.S. Presi-
his trial will begin. they were not at the bail Rwandan soldiers, the re- peared," saying that the dential Medal of Freedom.
Rusesabagina, 66, has lived hearing. port said. He said he was lack of lawful international But he has faced criticism
outside Rwanda since 1996 Earlier this month, he de- then tied up, couldn't see extradition proceedings from Rwandan authorities
but on Aug. 31, he sudden- scribed how he disap- anything and didn't know suggests that Rwandan au- in the years since he began
ly appeared in the East Af- peared while visiting Dubai where he was. thorities don't believe their speaking out against al-
rican country in handcuffs. and then turned up days The Rwandan court has evidence would stand up leged human rights abuses
Appearing frail and speak- later in Rwanda, a country said he was arrested at Ki- to independent scrutiny. by Kagame's government.
ing in a soft voice, Rus- his family says he'd never re- gali International Airport, Rusesabagina had asked Government support-
esabagina said that he is turn to voluntarily. Speaking contradicting the earlier to be released on bail, cit- ers reject Rusesabagina's
sick and would not attempt to The New York Times with police version that he was ing poor health that has criticism, saying Kagame's
to leave Rwanda. The Rwandan authorities pres- arrested through "inter- caused him to be taken to leadership supports de-
prosecutors said he would ent, he said he thought the national cooperation." a hospital three times since mocracy and economic
jeopardize their investiga- private plane he boarded Kagame earlier this month his arrest. His bail request growth.q

China aims to make 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses a year

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese giants Pfizer and Moderna One of those is Coro-
health official said Friday aim to produce a billion naVac, made by the pri-
that the country's annual doses each in 2021 as well. vate company SinoVac,
production capacity for Zheng said distribution of which is already rolling off
coronavirus vaccines will the vaccines would priori- the factory floor at a bio-
top 1 billion doses next tize groups such as medical secure facility outside Bei-
year, following an aggres- workers, border personnel jing. SinoVac's chairman,
sive government support and the elderly before they Yin Weidong, said Thursday
program for construction of are made available to the that the factory was built
new factories. general public. in months, and more could
Capacity is expected to China has promoted the be constructed if demand
reach 610 million doses by construction of vaccine is sufficient. Some nations
the end of this year, Zheng testing facilities and manu- are pooling vaccine efforts
Zhongwei from the Nation- facturing plants, and as- to ensure success against
al Health Commission said. signed independent moni- the disease. More than 150
Zheng Zhongwei, an official with China's National Health Com-
mission, holds a chart showing different priority groups for a "Next year, our annual ca- tors for their assembly. countries are setting up the
coronavirus vaccine as he speaks during a press conference pacity will reach more than China has 11 vaccine can- COVID-19 Vaccines Global
held to discuss COVID-19 vaccine-related issues at the State 1 billion doses," he said at a didates in human trials, with Access Facility, or COVAX,
Council Information Office in Beijing, Friday, Sept. 25, 2020. news conference. four of them currently in the under the World Health
Associated Press American pharmaceutical third and final trials. Organization.q