Thousands of Gasabo district residents Wednesday braved the midmorning heat and afternoon rains at the Deustch Weller radio masts to protest Rose Kabuye’s arrest in Germany and transfer to France.

Deustch Welle is a German radio. Its masts in Rwanda are located on a hilltop in Kibagabaga, a Kigali suburb.

Kigali residents, filled all roads, waving protest banners and placards calling for Kabuye’s freedom, walked from as far as Kabuga and Kacyiru to the Kinyinya intersection from where they joined groups and moved to the radio station.

Many of the protesters spotted a green badge with a rose a  symbol of solidarity with with another Rose, Kabuye.  Demonstrator, Robert Mugenzi, a resident of Kanombe said that he was marching to show his support for the current government.

"This government has moved us from being ignored to our present status. I am proud to be a Rwandan today because this government has done a lot of good. The Germans and the French want to discredit our leaders by issuing warrants, but we shall rally behind our leaders and we will not accept Europeans making decisions for us,” he said.

For Claude Ntambara, the protest was about Rwandans showing their anger against the insensitivity of Europeans towards Africans.

"How can the French be concerned or care about Rwanda?They are jealous that the country has moved on without their patronage and instead of cooperation they have resorted to arresting our leaders who have done more for the country in a short time than Habyariamana and his French cohorts ever did since independence (1962).”

According to another protestor Jacques Nzamwita, France is mad with Rwanda for breaking away from its wings. 

"I am here to protest France’s role in Rwanda before and even now. They are using Kabuye to prove that they are a power in the international community but we are determined to protest peacefully to let the truth be known.”

Kabuye arrived in France on Wednesday and was immediately taken to a French court. Yesterday she was released on bail and will  report to court every fifteen days.

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