Karake was under an arrest warrant issued by a Spanish judge in 2008 over alleged war crimes and genocide in Rwanda in 1990s.
Rwanda President Paul Kagame has criticized western powers for imposing their arrogance on African nations that are trying to rebuild themselves.
Kagame’s comments follow the arrest of Rwanda’s intelligence chief, Karenzi Karake, by British law enforcement officials on Saturday.
The president was speaking on Thursday while presiding over the swearing in ceremony of the newly-appointed education minister, four new parliamentarians and new judges in an event held at Rwanda parliamentary buildings.
Karake was under an arrest warrant issued by a Spanish judge in 2008 over alleged war crimes and genocide in Rwanda in 1990s.
“It is not UK, Spain, and France who will decide who they become. We don’t have the power of wealth, of military strength, of technology. But we have the power of the spirit. This arrogance of western powers is all directed to inconvenience, destabilize and show absolute contempt they have for Rwanda and for the African,” Kagame said angrily amidst laud applause from members of the Rwandan legislature.
The Rwandan leader who spoke for an hour called Karake’s arrest as absolute arrogance and contempt aimed at undermining Africans.
“It is history repeating itself in a different form. It is a continuation of slavery, colonialism, violence and bigotry. How do we give our lives to save our country and our people and at the end of the day we are killers?” said Kagame.
“Spain has never approached Rwanda over this case; in fact it’s us who have all along been trying to engage them,” he said.
Kagame said Rwanda and Africans will never accept any form of injustice that comes from western world and it’s time to have the right spirit that won’t easily be broken.
Kagame called on Rwandans to keep calm during the arrest of Karake otherwise everybody would end up making mistakes.
“I am trying to keep the calm that is necessary to do things right, otherwise the anger can drive people crazy and influence them to make mistakes however that doesn’t mean we can accept mistakes being done on us. In the end we must and will prevail, it doesn’t matter how long,” he underscored.
Meanwhile Rwandans and friends of Rwanda are holding peaceful demonstrations across the country demanding immediate and unconditional release of General Karake.