Rwandan soldier’s refugees status in South Africa queried

By Godfrey Olukya    30-10-2012

A Rwandan general, Faustin Nyamwasa  who was  granted refugee status  by South Africa has raised tempers of some NGO’s and human rights bodies which claim that he does not deserve it.

The organization which are against his getting a refugee status in South Africa insist that he was suspected of being a war criminal.

Led by Immigrants’ rights lobby group, they have  challenged in South Africa high court the country’s decision to grant refugee status to Nyamwasa.

Faustin Nyamwasa was the Rwandan army commander but fell out with the country’s president Paul Kagame 1n 2010. He was accused of attempting to overthrow the government.

He fled to South Africa where he applied for refugee status.

The group  wants South Africa  high court to revoke the  decision by South African authorities to grant him refugee status.

One of the officials of the organizations against Nyamwasa’s being granted refugee status, Thomas Mbagi said,’ He does not deserve it because he is a killer. During the war in Rwanda he is reported to have ordered for the killing of innocent people.’

A lawyer of immigration’s rights body, Anton Katz said ‘ We disagree with his being granted a refugee status in South Africa. We agree that he can’t be sent back to Rwanda, but that does not concern this court. This court must decide if he’s entitled to refugee status’.

He said that they are not against  Nyamwasa applying  for a different type of permit which can allow him to stay temporarily in South Africa..

Nyamwasa is one of the wanted people in Rwanda. He was in absentia sentenced by Rwanda high court to 24 years of imprisonment after finding him guilty of high treason.

After escaping from Rwanda he fled to South Africa. He was granted refugee status just days after he was shot and wounded outside his Johannesburg home .

END