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Patrick Karegeya: Rwanda exile 'murdered' in Johannesburg | Patrick Karegeya: Rwanda exile 'murdered' in Johannesburg |
(35 minutes later) | |
Exiled former Rwandan intelligence chief Patrick Karegeya has been apparently murdered in a Johannesburg hotel room, South African police say. | Exiled former Rwandan intelligence chief Patrick Karegeya has been apparently murdered in a Johannesburg hotel room, South African police say. |
They say the dissident might have been strangled, with a rope and bloodied towel found in the hotel room safe. | They say the dissident might have been strangled, with a rope and bloodied towel found in the hotel room safe. |
Mr Karegeya was stripped of the rank of colonel after falling out with his former ally, President Paul Kagame. | Mr Karegeya was stripped of the rank of colonel after falling out with his former ally, President Paul Kagame. |
President Kagame's allies have previously denied accusations of links to a series of dissident attacks. | President Kagame's allies have previously denied accusations of links to a series of dissident attacks. |
Mr Karegeya, 53, formerly head of Rwanda's foreign intelligence service, had lived for the past six years in South Africa, where he had been granted political asylum. | Mr Karegeya, 53, formerly head of Rwanda's foreign intelligence service, had lived for the past six years in South Africa, where he had been granted political asylum. |
A fellow exiled dissident, former army chief Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, has survived two assassination attempts since fleeing to South Africa in 2010. | A fellow exiled dissident, former army chief Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, has survived two assassination attempts since fleeing to South Africa in 2010. |
The pair formed a new opposition party - the Rwanda National Congress - in 2010. | The pair formed a new opposition party - the Rwanda National Congress - in 2010. |
Gen Nyamwasa told the BBC that Mr Karegeya had gone to the upmarket Michelangelo Towers hotel to meet "somebody he knew very well, somebody who had come from Kigali". | |
He accused the Rwandan government of being behind the killing. | |
Rwanda's ambassador to South Africa, Vincent Karega, dismissed this as an "emotional reaction and opportunistic way of playing politics", reports The Associated Press news agency. | |
"We encourage the authorities to really look into the matter so that we know exactly what happened," the Reuters news agency quotes him as telling local radio. | |
A police statement on Mr Karegeya's death said: "Preliminary investigations revealed that his neck [was] swollen - there is a possibility that he might have been strangled.'' | |
He leaves a widow and three children. | He leaves a widow and three children. |
Rwandan exiles in several Western countries including the UK and US say local security agents have warned them of plots to kill them. | Rwandan exiles in several Western countries including the UK and US say local security agents have warned them of plots to kill them. |
The Rwandan government has denied trying to kill its opponents. | The Rwandan government has denied trying to kill its opponents. |
Mr Karegeya and Gen Nyamwasa were among four exiled former top officials for whom Rwanda issued international arrest warrants in 2011. | Mr Karegeya and Gen Nyamwasa were among four exiled former top officials for whom Rwanda issued international arrest warrants in 2011. |
A military court earlier sentenced them to long jail terms in absentia for threatening state security and promoting ethnic divisions. | A military court earlier sentenced them to long jail terms in absentia for threatening state security and promoting ethnic divisions. |
Both men were part of Mr Kagame's rebel forces which came to power in 1994, ending the genocide of their fellow ethnic Tutsis. | Both men were part of Mr Kagame's rebel forces which came to power in 1994, ending the genocide of their fellow ethnic Tutsis. |
Mr Kagame has been accused of not tolerating opposition. | Mr Kagame has been accused of not tolerating opposition. |
He maintains that Rwanda needs a strong government to prevent a return to ethnic conflict. | He maintains that Rwanda needs a strong government to prevent a return to ethnic conflict. |