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| Rwanda rejects French allegations | Rwanda rejects French allegations |
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| Rwanda has angrily rejected calls by a French judge for President Paul Kagame to stand trial over the killing of his predecessor, which sparked genocide. | |
| Rwanda's justice minister dismissed the claims of Mr Kagame's involvement as "totally unfounded". | |
| Jean-Louis Bruguiere, who is investigating the death of President Juvenal Habyarimana, also said nine of Mr Kagame's aides should be arrested. | Jean-Louis Bruguiere, who is investigating the death of President Juvenal Habyarimana, also said nine of Mr Kagame's aides should be arrested. |
| After Habyarimana's plane was shot down militias killed some 800,000 people. | |
| "The allegations are totally unfounded. The judge is acting on the basis of gossip and rumours," AFP news agency quoted Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama as saying. | "The allegations are totally unfounded. The judge is acting on the basis of gossip and rumours," AFP news agency quoted Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama as saying. |
| These are political games rather than a judicial process Tharcisse Karugarama href="/1/hi/world/africa/3170451.stm" class="">Profile: Paul Kagame | |
| President Kagame has always vehemently denied such claims and accuses France, a close ally of the old Hutu regime, of being complicit in the 1994 massacres of ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. | |
| A hearing began in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, last month into allegations of French involvement in the killings. | A hearing began in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, last month into allegations of French involvement in the killings. |
| French legal authorities are investigating Habyarimana's death because his aircraft had a French crew. | French legal authorities are investigating Habyarimana's death because his aircraft had a French crew. |
| Rampage | Rampage |
| Judge Bruguiere is expected to sign international arrest warrants for the officials in the coming days. | Judge Bruguiere is expected to sign international arrest warrants for the officials in the coming days. |
| Some 800,000 people were killed in the genocide | |
| Under French law, a warrant cannot be issued for Mr Kagame because he has immunity as a head of state. | Under French law, a warrant cannot be issued for Mr Kagame because he has immunity as a head of state. |
| But the judge said Mr Kagame should stand trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), set up to try those responsible for the genocide. | But the judge said Mr Kagame should stand trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), set up to try those responsible for the genocide. |
| BBC correspondent Fergal Keane says if the judge's claims prove true, the legal and moral implications would be devastating. | BBC correspondent Fergal Keane says if the judge's claims prove true, the legal and moral implications would be devastating. |
| Rwanda's two most senior generals - armed forces chief James Kabarebe and army chief-of-staff Charles Kayonga - are among the nine aides suspected of involvement in the downing of the plane carrying Habyarimana and his Burundi counterpart Cyprien Ntaryamira on 6 April 1994. | |
| Hutu militias accused Mr Kagame's then rebel Tutsi-dominated Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) of killing the president and started massacring Tutsis across the country. | Hutu militias accused Mr Kagame's then rebel Tutsi-dominated Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) of killing the president and started massacring Tutsis across the country. |
| Mr Kagame has always accused Hutu extremists of killing Habyarimana, a moderate Hutu, in order to provide a pretext for the genocide. | Mr Kagame has always accused Hutu extremists of killing Habyarimana, a moderate Hutu, in order to provide a pretext for the genocide. |
| The killings ended 100 days later when the RPF took power. | The killings ended 100 days later when the RPF took power. |
| The ICTR has convicted 26 people and acquitted five. All of those charged in the ICTR have had links to the Hutu militias, known as the Interahamwe. | The ICTR has convicted 26 people and acquitted five. All of those charged in the ICTR have had links to the Hutu militias, known as the Interahamwe. |
| The Tanzania-based court is due to be disbanded in 2008. | The Tanzania-based court is due to be disbanded in 2008. |