Page 6 - aruba-today-20201006

A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 6 OcTOber 2020

Prosecutor says 'Hotel Rwanda' man to be tried with rebels

By IGNATIUS SSUUNA Human Rights Watch has
KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — asserted that Rusesabagi-
Rwanda's prosecution on na had been "forcibly dis-
Monday said it intends to appeared," saying that the
hold a joint trial of Paul Rus- lack of lawful extradition
esabagina, whose story in- proceedings suggests that
spired the film "Hotel Rwan- Rwandan authorities don't
da," together with 16 pris- believe their evidence
oners alleged to be rebel would stand up to inde-
fighters. pendent scrutiny.
Rusesabagina, 66, is a Rusesabagina has not lived
founder of the Rwanda in Rwanda since 1996 and
Movement for Democrat- has U.S. permanent resi-
ic Change, a coalition of dence as well as Belgian
opposition groups, which citizenship and has been
has an armed wing known a prominent critic of the
as the National Liberation Kagame government.
Front. The government ac- Rusesabagina had asked
cuses the rebel group of kill- to be released on bail, cit-
ing Rwandans in the coun- ing poor health that has
try's north. caused him to be taken to
In court last month, Ruse- a hospital three times since
sabagina a dmitted his ties Paul Rusesabagina, center, whose story inspired the film "Hotel Rwanda", wears a pink prison uni- he first appeared in hand-
to the rebels but said the form as he appears for a bail hearing at a court in the capital Kigali, Rwanda Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 cuffs in Rwanda on Aug.
group was never meant to Associated Press 31. He looked frail during his
kill Rwandans. court appearances.
Rwandan authorities said Rusesabagina has been dan leadership to first ex- government has enforced Rusesabagina is reported
the rebel fighters to stand charged with 13 offenses plain the circumstances on him," Rusesabagina's to have saved more than
trial with Rusesabagina in- that also include financing under which Rusesabagina daughter Carine Kanimba 1,000 lives during Rwanda's
clude two former spokes- terrorism, complicity in mur- was brought to the country. told The Associated Press 1994 genocide that killed
men, now in detention in der, recruiting child soldiers, His family says that he was on Monday. some 800,000 Tutsis and
Kigali. and forming a rebel group. pressured to say that he Rusesabagina cannot moderate Hutus. For his ef-
"Prosecution intends to He faces a maximum of 25 had ties with the rebels. speak freely while in Rwan- forts, he was awarded the
submit a joint indictment years in prison if he is con- "Rusesabagina is a Belgian dan custody, said Kanim- U.S. Presidential Medal of
of these 16 defendants to- victed. He has been de- citizen who was kidnapped ba, speaking on the phone Freedom in 2005.
gether with Paul Rusesaba- nied bail pending the trial, and brought to Rwanda il- from Belgium. But Rusesabagina has
gina. A full list of 16 fighters the date of which has not legally. Before anything President Paul Kagame has faced growing criticism
will be provided," Prosecu- yet been set. else happens in his trial, he indicated that Rusesabagi- from Rwandan authorities
tor General Aimable Ha- Rusesabagina's family and should be allowed to talk na may have been tricked in the years since he began
vugiyaremye told a press supporters have described to his independent lawyers into boarding a private alleging that human rights
conference in the capital, the upcoming trial as a that have been hired for plane in Dubai that took are being committed by
Kigali. sham, calling on the Rwan- him, not the lawyers the him to Rwanda. Kagame's government.q

New Caledonia voters choose to stay part of France

logue after a three-decade The overseas ministry said in 1988. A decade later, the
decolonization effort in the 53.3% of voters chose to Noumea Agreement grant-
South Pacific archipelago. maintain ties with France ed New Caledonia politi-
In a televised address from while 46.7% supported in- cal power and broad au-
Paris, President Emmanuel dependence. Turnout was tonomy and planned the
Macron welcomed "an ex- high, with more than 85% of organization of up to three
pression of confidence in voters casting ballots one successive referendums.
the Republic with a deep hour before poll stations Two years ago, 56.4% of
feeling of gratitude... and closed, and some stations people in a similar referen-
modesty." in Noumea, the capital, dum voted against inde-
Macron promised pro-inde- closed an hour late to en- pendence. A third referen-
pendence supporters "this is sure people waiting in long dum may be organized by
with you, all together, that lines at the planned closing 2022.
we will build New Caledo- time could still vote. New Caledonian politi-
nia tomorrow" and called Sunday's independence cians acknowledged Sun-
on New Caledonians to referendum was among day the need for dialogue
look to the future. the final steps of longstand- between pro- and anti-in-
Pro-independence supporters celebrate the results of the vote in
Noumea, New Caledonia, Sunday, Oct.4, 2020. "We are facing our history ing plans to settle tensions dependence sides.
Associated Press in New Caledonia, an co- on the archipelago be- The president of the archi-
lonial history," Macron said. tween native Kanaks seek- pelago's government, Thi-
By CHARLOTTE ANTOINE- to remain part of France "And we are trying to over- ing independence and erry Santa, is among those
PERRON instead of backing inde- come it so that we are not residents willing to remain who want New Caledonia
NOUMEA, New Caledonia pendence in a referendum trapped in it. We know that in France. to remain a French territory.
(AP) — A majority of voters Sunday that led the French today we are at a cross- A peace deal between ri- He stressed the "deep divi-
in New Caledonia chose president to call for dia- roads." val factions was achieved sion" in the population. q