Former Rwandan Prosecutor General Gahima Testifies Against Kagame in Spain

by AfroAmerica Network on September 28, 2010

Sources in Spain have informed AfroAmerica Network that Gerard Gahima, a former Rwandan Prosecutor General and Vice-President of the Supreme Court has been testifying against the Rwandan Dictator Paul Kagame.

The testimony in front of the Audiencia National in Madrid is likely to be very critical and damaging for Paul Kagame. In fact, General Gahima was one of the closest allies, comrades, and friends of Kagame’s sometimes regarded, along with Tito Rutaremara, one of the ideologues of the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front.

The lengthy testimony was recorded on Wednesday September 22, 2010.

In the testimony, Gerard Gahima confirmed that General Paul Kagame has personally or through proxies, and private businesses committed, executed, supervised, and/or ordered war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and in Rwanda. According to Gerard Gahima, among the companies belonging to Paul Kagame and his associates, including the wife of the Minister of Finances, and exploiting resources in the DRC, especially coltan and other commodities, and shipping them across the border to Rwanda are Air Navette, Jambo Safari, and New Gomair. He also reaffirmed that companies belonging to the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), General Paul Kagame and a clique of personal friends, relatives, and leading personalities continue to benefit from illegal logging and poaching. They include the holding Tri-Star Investments that belongs to Paul Kagame.

Gerard Gahima testified also on the assassination of spanish aid workers and missionaries, the catalan missionary Joaquim Vallmajó in 1994 and Medecins du Monde workers Flors Sirera and Luis Manuel Madrazo Valtueña, killed three years later.

One of Gerard Gahima’s associates, Kayumba Nyamwasa is accused of ordering these murders. The Spanish Government, at the insistence of Judge Andreu, formally requested his extradition from South Africa, where he has sought asylum, to Spain, to face prosecution for the crimes.
General Kayumba Nyamwasa was a victim of the first assassination attempt on June 19, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa where he has sought exile (see our article here ). After the first assassination attempt, the South African Government pointed a finger to intelligence operatives from Rwanda as responsible for the failed assassination. The accusation led to a strain in the two governments relations. The South African Government eventually recalled its Ambassador to Rwanda (see our article here and here).