Rwandan opponent Paul Rusesabagina is now in the United States

Paul Rusesabagina, September 14, 2020 (illustration image). © AP

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

Rwandan opponent Paul Rusesabagina arrived in the United States, in Houston. The man has Belgian nationality and is a permanent resident of the United States. He had, during a transit at Dubai airport in August 2022, boarded a plane to Kigali while he planned to go to Burundi. His supporters claim that he was kidnapped by men of the Rwandan regime. Paul Rusesabagina was made famous by the film Hotel Rwanda which told his story; this opponent of Rwandan President Paul Kagame spent more than 900 days in prison in Kigali.

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With our Houston correspondent, Thomas Harms

Paul Rusesabagina was welcomed on the tarmac of the Houston airport by the American authorities who took him under their wing to, first of all, debrief him on his period of captivity. In order to also provide a complete update on his state of health, they took him to a military hospital in San Antonio, the city where his family resides. The Rwandan opponent, visibly emaciated, did not comment on his arrival from his flight from Qatar. His family in Texas feared for his deteriorating health behind bars.

Promise

Before obtaining his pardon in Rwanda, the one that the American media calls "the hero of Hotel Rwanda" had promised - in a letter to Paul Kagame - to stop making political comments and to remain in the United States in "a silent reflection".

Exile

The Rwandan president, under American pressure, had then commuted his sentence of twenty-five years in prison for terrorism, in exile in the United States. In a statement on Twitter, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said he was "delighted to welcome Paul Rusesabagina. Happy to have him back on American soil, and reunited with his family and friends who have been waiting for this day for a long time."

► READ ALSO: Rwanda: the opponent Paul Rusesabagina arrived in Qatar, before returning to the United States

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  • United States
  • Rwanda
  • Africa
  • Paul Kagame
  • Diplomacy