Sunday, June 20, 2010

Rwandan Former Army Chief Shot and Wounded in South Africa

Rwandan ex-army chief shot

Nyamwasa has been in hiding in South Africa for the past four months

A Rwandan ex-army chief accused of terrorism in his homeland and living in exile in South Africa has been shot and wounded, his wife has said.

Rosette, Lieutenant General Kayumba Nyamwasa's wife, said a lone gunman attacked her husband while they were returning from shopping on Saturday.

Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa, reporting from Johannesburg, said: "He is stable but seriously hurt. His wife is adamant that the attack was politically motivated.

"Rosette said they were in the parking lot of their home and a man came to the side of the car with a pistol and shot at her husband who managed to get out of the car and then there was a scuffle. The driver of the car then chased the assailant away."

South African police said they have no information on the shooting.

Rivalry

Our correspondent said that Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, and Nyamwasa had fallen out.

"He [Nyamwasa] wasn't happy that those who opposed Kagame were detained and harassed and spoke up about that and other cases of corruption happening in Rwanda at the moment.

"He was then forced to flee the country and has been in hiding in South Africa for the past four months."

The Rwandan government has linked Nyamwasa to three grenade attacks in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, on February 19, which killed one person and injured at least 30 others.

The authorities have accused Nyamwasa of trying to destabilise Rwanda while he was in the country, and while he was in India, where he served as Rwanda's ambassador.

South African police said earlier this year they had not arrested Nyamwasa because they do not have an extradition treaty with Rwanda.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

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