Rose Kabuye has passed the first hurdle in her quest for justice and defending the sovereignty of her country. It has been said all along that the case was based on the flimsiest reasons and that it won’t be long before the authors are dragged out of the woodwork into the open.

The indictments against Rose and eight other Rwandans by a French investigative magistrate, Jean Louis Bruguière, are so full of glaring loopholes that his successors chose not to contest her liberty, as they were ambushed by her surprise decision to face them head on.

Her conditional release is but a small victory, a battle has been won but the war is still raging, and in normal circumstances, the enemy has retreated to plan a counter-attack.

But then, Rose is not one to teach the art of survival in enemy territory, however great the odds. She entered the lion’s den with the full knowledge that the beast was famished and baying for blood, yet she willingly entered because she was armed with the greatest weapon of all; truth.

All that remains now is to see whether the crafters of the dubious and childish indictment will have the courage to defend it in a court of law, or whether they will swallow their pride and throw in the towel.

But in the mean time, people should not bask in a partial victory but be prepared to march alongside their daughter and sister all the way.

The message Rwandans and foreigners showed and continued to show in their adamant opposition to a miscarriage of justice should by now have been heard loud and clear at Champs Ellysée; Rose will not walk alone.

Ends