Editor,

RE: "Perfidious Albion? The strange case of General Karenzi Karake” (The New Times, August 20).

No doubt about it in my mind; the last invitation for Lt. Gen. Karenzi Karake to visit London was always a trap, especially given his hosts' sudden cancellation of their scheduled meeting on the flimsiest of non-excuses.

It is obvious that a lesson was intended to the Rwandan Government from Whitehall. The only question is: What exact lesson? How far does it spread within the British establishment?

Did the lesson-givers undertake an appropriate cost-benefit analysis from the UK perspective, or are they so arrogant as to believe, as the British High Commissioner to Kigali seems to from his "Everything Is Simply Wonderful” news conference after Karake's release, that the balance of power is clearly so skewed that Rwanda has no alternative but to swallow its bruised pride and anger and simply continue on as if London has not just spit in our face?

We forgive—we have had to more than our fair share—but we never forget. A lesson has indeed just been learned; but perhaps not the one the giver may have intended.

Mwene Kalinda