INTERPOL ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR RWANDAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000227 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV RW SUBJECT: INTERPOL ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR RWANDAN MILITARY CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF REF: KIGALI 107 Classified By: CDA Cheryl J. Sim, reason 1.4 (B/D) ¶1. (SBU) Presidential Chief of Protocol Rose Kabuye informed CDA March 27 that Rwanda had received an INTERPOL arrest warrant for Rwanda Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Brigadier General James Kabarebe following his indictment by a Spanish judge (reftel). Forty Rwandans were indicted by the judge, including current senior military and government officials. Post has confirmed the issuance of the warrant against Kabarebe, and understands that the Government of Rwanda (GOR) is attempting to have it revoked. Warrants for the other indictees have not been issued. ¶2. (C) Kabuye (protect) expressed dismay at the warrant against Kabarebe, and said it was an embarrassment for the country, adding that almost all of Rwanda's embassies had notified the GOR about the arrest warrant. She also expressed dismay over the GOR's relative lack of action against the indictments. As recently as March 25, two senior military officers told CDA that the GOR believed the Government of Spain would not take any action on the indictments. (FYI: In early March, the GOR issued a communique condemning the indictments as politically motivated and encouraging the international community to denounce them and pursue justice against perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide, but did not pursue other action. End FYI.) ¶3. (C) Comment: The arrest warrant clearly came as a shock to the GOR. Along with Kabarebe, the list of 40 includes a number of senior government officials and military officers who travel to the United States on official travel or at the invitation of the USG. It is unclear here whether there will be additional warrants issued in the days ahead. SIM