4 suspects in exiled Rwandan general shooting appear in South Africa court; new court date set

4 suspects in Rwandan general shooting in court

JOHANNESBURG — Four men accused of trying to kill a Rwandan general living in exile in Johannesburg made brief court appearances Tuesday, while prosecutors said that the suspects were not from Rwanda or South Africa.

Dissident Lt. Gen. Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa’s wife has accused Rwandan President Paul Kagame in the shooting, a charge the Rwandan government denies. The attack comes as human rights groups say Rwanda’s government is smashing dissent ahead of an August election.

Prosecutors said Tuesday that the four men arrested are from Tanzania, Somalia and Mozambique but refused to say how long the suspects have been in South Africa.

Court records identified the four suspects as Juma Huseni, a 35-year-old Tanzanian, Ahmed Ali, a 26-year-old Somali, George Francis, a 31-year-old Mozambican and Shafiri Bakari, a 30-year-old Tanzanian. Three of the suspects said they have asylum status.

Police spokesman, Govindsamy Mariemuthoo refused to disclose a possible motive until the suspects make their next appearance in court.

Mariemuthoo said the next appearance is Thursday. But court officials say it is July 14 to give investigators time to determine the suspects’ immigration status.

Police last week dropped attempted murder charges against two others who were also arrested after the shooting.

Nyamwasa and his wife were returning to the upscale gated community where they live in northern Johannesburg when a lone gunman fired on him June 19. He was shot in the stomach and is expected to recover.

Nyamwasa and Kagame were once allied but have fallen out, reportedly because Kagame sees his former military chief as a political rival. Nyamwasa came to South Africa earlier this year.

Rwandan officials have accused Nyamwasa of trying to destabilize their government. The Rwandan government says it has linked Nyamwasa to three grenade attacks in Rwanda’s capital Feb. 19 that killed one person and wounded 30 others.

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

Louise Mushikiwabo, Rwanda’s minister of Foreign Affairs and the government spokeswoman, said Rwanda does not kill its own people, and that if it has a problem with someone it will take them to court.

“There is this whole psyche that there is a crackdown in Rwanda, that tensions are reigning,” said Mushikiwabo. “People are taking advantage of the forthcoming elections to project this kind of situation, but I can assure you that the situation is created.”