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Rwanda president's widow arrested | Rwanda president's widow arrested |
(20 minutes later) | |
The widow of former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, whose assassination triggered the Rwandan genocide, has been arrested in France. | The widow of former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, whose assassination triggered the Rwandan genocide, has been arrested in France. |
Agathe Habyarimana is accused by the current Rwandan government of helping to plan the 1994 genocide, and has long been sought by prosecutors there. | Agathe Habyarimana is accused by the current Rwandan government of helping to plan the 1994 genocide, and has long been sought by prosecutors there. |
Mrs Habyarimana, who has been living in France for several years, denies the accusations. | Mrs Habyarimana, who has been living in France for several years, denies the accusations. |
More than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus died in the massacres of 1994. | More than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus died in the massacres of 1994. |
French officials said Mrs Habyarimana was detained in the Paris region by police executing a Rwandan-issued international arrest warrant. | French officials said Mrs Habyarimana was detained in the Paris region by police executing a Rwandan-issued international arrest warrant. |
FRANCE-RWANDA RELATIONS Diplomatic relations broken off 2006, restored late 2009French judge said current President Paul Kagame had been behind President Habyarimana's assassinationRwanda accused France of arming Hutu militias | FRANCE-RWANDA RELATIONS Diplomatic relations broken off 2006, restored late 2009French judge said current President Paul Kagame had been behind President Habyarimana's assassinationRwanda accused France of arming Hutu militias |
Mrs Habyarimana, who was flown out of Rwanda by the French military in the early days of the violence, has been seeking political asylum in France, without success. | Mrs Habyarimana, who was flown out of Rwanda by the French military in the early days of the violence, has been seeking political asylum in France, without success. |
Her arrest follows a visit to the Rwandan capital Kigali last week by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, when he admitted that France - and the wider international community - had make "mistakes" over the genocide. | Her arrest follows a visit to the Rwandan capital Kigali last week by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, when he admitted that France - and the wider international community - had make "mistakes" over the genocide. |
His comments followed years of strained relations between the two countries. | His comments followed years of strained relations between the two countries. |
Extradition? | |
Diplomatic relations were restored late last year having broken down after a French judge said President Paul Kagame had been behind President Habyarimana's assassination, and Rwanda accused France of arming the Hutu militias involved in the 1994 genocide. | Diplomatic relations were restored late last year having broken down after a French judge said President Paul Kagame had been behind President Habyarimana's assassination, and Rwanda accused France of arming the Hutu militias involved in the 1994 genocide. |
Mrs Habyarimana's lawyer said her arrest was directly linked to Mr Sarkozy's visit. | Mrs Habyarimana's lawyer said her arrest was directly linked to Mr Sarkozy's visit. |
"You can't not draw a link," said Philippe Meilhac. "The extradition request from Kigali dates back to November and was obviously re-activated." | "You can't not draw a link," said Philippe Meilhac. "The extradition request from Kigali dates back to November and was obviously re-activated." |
The BBC's Catherine Zemmouri in Paris says it is not clear if France will extradite her to Rwanda. | |
She says that French magistrates have recently refused to send three suspects to Rwanda fearing they would not receive a fair trial. | |
France has, however, extradited suspects to the UN-backed Rwanda war crimes tribunal in Arusha, Tanzania. | |
President Habyarimana died in April 1994 when his jet was hit by a missile over the Kigali airport. | President Habyarimana died in April 1994 when his jet was hit by a missile over the Kigali airport. |
Hardline ethnic Hutu supporters of the president then launched the apparently pre-planned massacres. | Hardline ethnic Hutu supporters of the president then launched the apparently pre-planned massacres. |