Tens of thousands of Rwandans across the country rocked the streets today in peaceful protests against the arrest of Lt Gen Emmanuel Karenzi Karake, the country’s head of national intelligence and security services.

Gen Karake was at the weekend barred by the UK immigration officials from boarding a flight back home in connection with a highly controversial indictment by a Spanish judge over alleged war crimes.

The second day of protests against the official’s arrest saw Rwandans in Kigali and major cities in the country take to the streets and urge the United Kingdom to immediately and unconditionally release Gen Karake.

In Kigali, thousands of protestors once again gathered in front of both entrances of the UK High Commission offices. 

While praising Karake's role in stopping the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda during the liberation struggle, the protestors demanded for his immediate and unconditional release. They also denounced what they described as contempt for Rwanda and vowed to keep protesting until Karake was released.

The protestors included Rwandans from all walks of life, from working professionals to students and both the young and old.

"I am here to protest against the wrong decision by the British. They have violated our rights as Rwandans. Karake did a good job in freeing Rwandans when the UK was not around to help us,” said protestor Judith Batungire.

Batungire told The New Times that she will keep protesting until Karake is released, revealing that she hasn’t been going to work at one of the telecommunication companies in the country since she heard about the official’s arrest.

Another protestor, 65-year-old Veronica Mukanyonga, said that she is a neighbour to Karake and that she has never heard anything bad about him.

"He is an honourable man. We are here as old women and men to protest against his arrest and we will not stop until he is released,” she said.

Eddy Kalisa Nyarwaya, an activist in peace building and conflict management, said that he was at the protests in Kigali to denounce dehumanisation and the denial of Rwanda’s dignity by the British government.

"I know Karake as a hero in this country because he is among the people who stopped the Genocide in 1994. I also know him as a man who got a UN medal for having brought peace in Darfur in Sudan,” Nyarwaya said.

Protests against the arrest of Gen Karake also took place in other major cities in the country, including in Northern Province’s Gicumbi, Musanze and Ngororero, Western Province’s Rubavu, Rutsiro and Nyamasheke, Southern Province’s Kamonyi, Huye and Nyanza, and Eastern Province’s Kayonza, Ngoma and Rwamagana.