SA firm on Rwanda ‘dissidents’
‘Rebel’ leader has refugee status, courts are strong and independent to deal with matters
SOME say he has hunted and haunted his opponents with the ruthlessness of a bloodthirsty tyrant, allegedly pursuing some of them in neighbouring countries, and as far as South Africa.
One of them, Colonel Patrick Karegeya, a former Rwandan intelligence chief, was killed under mysterious circumstances at the Michelangelo Towers in Sandton on New Year’s Eve in 2014, and fingers have been pointed at President Paul Kagame.
An inquest into Karegeya’s death is currently under way and will probably further strain relations between Kigali and Pretoria. Kagame denies any involvement in the murder.
“I don’t have anything to do with the inquest. I don’t know the basis. I don’t know where it comes from. I don’t know where it leads to. I pay very little attention to it. I am not bothered,” he says.
But of course he must be bothered. Whichever way the inquest goes, it may place his government at the centre of Karegeya’s murder and further harden South Africa’s attitude towards Rwanda.
“Maybe both of us can live with the situation as it is,” says Kagame. “But I think anyone who thinks they can put a lot of pain on Rwanda is mistaken. We have been in worse situations.”
Rwanda wants former army chief General Kayumba Nyamwasa sent back to face trial for alleged involvement in terrorist activities. But two arrest warrants sent to Pretoria have not been executed, worsening tensions.
A report by the UN Group of Experts, dated December 31, 2018, fingers Nyamwasa as a key player in the rebel group P5, under his Rwanda National Congress.
South Africa claims it hasn’t seen the report. “General Nyamwasa has refugee status in SA in terms of the immigration laws, and we are not aware of his alleged involvement with activities inconsistent with his refugee status. We have no information on the alleged UN allegations and DRC activities,” says Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) spokesperson Nduvhuwo Mabaya.
South Africa denies ignoring arrest warrants on Nyamwasa. “Yes, we confirm receipt of an extradition request regarding General Nyamwasa. This is a legal matter that the government will consider in terms of the Constitution and applicable international laws. This matter is being attended to by the Department of Justice,” says Mabaya.
On the Karegeya inquest further straining relations, Mabaya says: “It would be totally wrong to regard the inquest into the killing of Colonel Karegeya, an inquest by our judiciary system, as a process with predetermined outcome.
“The SA courts are known worldwide for their independence. This process is independent and being conducted by the judiciary.”
Kagame is shocked South Africa has largely ignored the UN report. “Initially, maybe people would have said the government of Rwanda is just exaggerating or doing things or they are after the person. But the UN (is) also coming out almost coincidentally confirming what we said all along... the warrant, the first one, actually went a long time ago and we have been engaging South African institutions, coming to nothing.
“We had almost given up on the matter until things started coming up again. So we thought that maybe they had forgotten that there is this matter that should be on the table all along.
“We thought that maybe with the new people coming in, maybe they have forgotten. So our Ministry of Justice reminded them, and other names were added to the list.”
But nothing had happened, he said. “For me, (the fact that) Cyril Ramaphosa came to power as the ANC’s and country’s president is a good thing for SA, but also a good thing for us. I think he represents a good platform to discuss things. But SA is going through a lot of changes; he has a lot of work to do, lots of things to pay attention to.
“These matters come very low on the long list of things he has to deal with. Maybe with time this matter will be handled. We are not short of patience.”
But South Africa thinks Rwanda has been playing dirty politics. Apart from allegedly calling Dirco Minister Lindiwe Sisulu a “prostitute”, Rwanda’s Minister of State for East Africa, Olivier Nduhungirehe, is accused of regularly making unpalatable comments about Pretoria. So bad is the relationship that Sisulu allegedly refused to shake a Rwandan minister’s hand at the AU summit in Addis Ababa recently, says a Kagame aide, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Nduhungirehe denied the “prostitute” claim when The Star met him in Kigali, and said he had asked South Africa to prove it. He added that what he had tweeted was the official position of Rwanda that there is no room for negotiation with rebels.
Kagame backed his minister, saying they had looked at his tweets and found nothing offensive.
Kagame emphasises that although he and Ramaphosa appear to get along well, it seemed there was a systematic blockage to the peace process. “I don’t know what goes into some people’s heads. Either we are so distant or we are too small or represent no interest to the ANC or to the SA government.
“These people come to the region from SA, back and forth, trying to affect our national security. These groups or some of those people or individuals have found sympathies in the system in SA. Very few may be effective when it comes to spoiling it, but you don’t need much effort really to spoil it. It takes little effort, and things smell bad across the board.”
South Africa insists that only a report by its security cluster showing no more Rwanda killers lurk in the shadows would help mend relations.
Dirco confirms that things fell apart in 2010 “following the first two assassination attempts on the life of General Nyamwasa”.
Says Mabaya: “This was followed by the killing on December 31, 2013 of another high-profile Rwandan exile, Colonel Karegeya, enjoying refugee status in SA, killed at a hotel in Johannesburg. Pursuant to the three assassination attempts on General Nyamwasa, SA, based on credible evidence from the security agencies, expelled three Rwandan diplomats for their involvement in illegal activities, violating their diplomatic status as contained in the Vienna Convention.
“In response to these expulsions, Rwanda expelled all SA diplomats, except the high commissioner, from Kigali. That expulsion inadvertently closed down the visa services at the high commission, hence the current situation whereby no visas are issued at the high commission.”
He adds: “It is not accurate and correct to say ordinary Rwandans are not granted visas to SA. Following the expulsion by the government of Rwanda in March 2014 of SA diplomats from the SA High Commission in Kigali, an act that inadvertently closed down the visa unit at the SA High Commission, Rwandan nationals wishing to visit SA are required to go to any of their neighbouring countries to file their visa applications. Through this process visas have been issued.”
But Rwandan ambassador Vincent Kerega denies this, arguing South Africa is not issuing any visas to Rwandans on ordinary passports in any countries, including abroad.
Says Mabaya: “Indeed the two presidents did discuss the matter of visas between the two countries and directed the ministers of international relations and co-operation to meet to resolve this matter. Certainly, the ministers have not blocked and can’t block a decision of the heads of state.
“On the South African side, the minister has referred the matter to the security cluster for advice and input. When the security cluster and all other stakeholders have concluded the consultation process, the ministers will conclude the process and recommend to the president. The two presidents continue to update each other regarding progress being made by their respective countries on the matter of visas.
“The two countries have agreed at the highest levels on the need to normalise bilateral relations, and work is under way to do that.
“President Ramaphosa is kept fully updated on this matter by all relevant government departments. In our understanding there is no one who is blocking the process. The two presidents continue to update each other regarding progress being made by their respective countries.”
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, RWANDA