Tuesday, May 24, 2011

France Denies Kanziga Asylum

Agathe Kanziga, widow to former Rwandan President, the late Juvenal Habyarimana was this Tuesday denied asylum in France by the prefecture of Essonne near Paris. This decision was also endorsed by the Ministry of the Interior of France after the commission in charge of issuing residence had also denied her asylum.

Maitre Philip Meyak, lawyer for the family of Habyarimana said they will appeal this decision this Wednesday or Thursday in court because according to him this decision is a political one as a result of improving relations between France and Rwanda.

Kanziga is also the subject of an extradition request from Rwanda and is due to appear in the Appeals court of Paris on June 29 for this hearing.

In October 2009, Conseil d’Etat, the highest judicial body in France refused Kanziga’s request for asylum saying it believes there are serious reasons that she may have played a role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide against Tutsi.
Kanziga, 69, has been living in France since 1998 with her children. Rwanda on October 19, 2009 issued an international warrant of arrest for Kanziga accusing her of being a key member of the inner circle (Akazu) that planned the 1994 genocide.

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