'Hotel Rwanda' hero's release came from desire to end diplomatic sore point
By Philbert Girinema and Aaron Ross
KIGALI, March 25 (Reuters) -The release of Paul Rusesabagina from a Rwandan prison late on Friday was the result of months of negotiations between Washington and Kigali, with both eager to draw a line under what they described as an "irritant" to their relationship.
Two U.S. officials - one from President Joe Biden's administration and a Congressional aide - said no concrete concessions were made to secure the release of Rusesabagina, a U.S. permanent resident made famous by the 2004 film 'Hotel Rwanda,' about his role saving Tutsis during the 1994 genocide.
He was detained in 2019 and subsequently convicted on eight terrorism charges stemming from his leadership role in the Rwanda Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD), whose armed wing, the National Liberation Front (FLN), has attacked Rwanda.
His detention strained relations between the two countries. The U.S. has said Rusesabagina was unlawfully detained, while Rwanda has bristled at the criticism, saying it would not be intimidated.
The U.S. allocated more than $147 million in foreign assistance to Rwanda in 2021, making it Rwanda's largest bilateral donor.
"The U.S. government made clear to the ... Rwandans that this would remain a bilateral irritant until we could reach a mutually satisfactory resolution," the Biden administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Yolande Makolo, a spokeswoman for the Rwandan government, said the case was "an irritant in both directions."
"After a few false starts, progress started to be made precisely when the U.S. abandoned the 'pressure' and threats approach, and decided to engage with Rwanda on the substance of the matter and its context – political violence by armed groups and the security of Rwandans," she told Reuters.
When asked how the U.S. had engaged on these issues, Makolo pointed to a statement issued by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken after Rusesabagina's release, emphasising that political change in Rwanda should only come through peaceful means.
The U.S. Congressional aide, who also asked not to be named, said the negotiations were advanced by moves from Washington and Rusesabagina himself to acknowledge Rwanda's point of view.
Particularly helpful, the aide said, was a letter Rusesabagina wrote to Rwandan President PaulKagame in October, in which he expressed regret at not ensuring that MRCD members refrained from violence. The Rwandan government released it on Friday.
MOBILIZING THE EXECUTIVE
Before the talks gained momentum, a major challenge for the Rusesabagina family and members of Congress advocating for his release was mobilizing the full capacity of the Executive branch, the aide said.
As a Belgian citizen of Rwandan origin with U.S. residency, Rusesabagina's case did not "fit neatly in a box," the aide said.
Momentum picked up over the past year as the Biden administration made a determination in May 2022 that Rusesabagina had been wrongfully detained.
Blinken met Kagame during a visit to Rwanda in August, where U.S. officials said the case was discussed extensively. Another opportunity for discussions came during the U.S.-Africa Summit in Washington in December.
Yet Kigali continued to take a hard line, with Kagame suggesting on the sidelines of the December summit that only an invasion of Rwanda could force Rusesabagina's release.
The first major public sign of softening came in an interview with Semafor less than two weeks ago, when Kagame said there were discussions about "resolving" the case.
Then on Friday came the announcement that Rusesabagina's sentence had been commuted. He was moved hours later from Nyarugenge Prison to the embassy of Qatar.
He will remain in Rwanda for a couple of days before travelling to Doha and then to the United States, U.S. officials said.
Editing by Elias Biryabarema and Bernadette Baum
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
