afrol News, 2 March - The French officials have arrested the widow of former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, who has long been on the list of people wanted for prosecution in relation to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Agathe Habyarimana is alleged to have been part of the plan that led to the mass killings when more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus died in the massacres of 1994.

Reports have said Mrs Habyarimana was detained in Paris by police executing a Rwandan-issued international arrest warrant. She has however denied the accusations.

Her arrest follows the recent visit by French President Nicholas Sarkozy to Kigali, who main mission was iron-out difference and re-establish full relations with his Rwandan counterpart.

Mrs Habyarimana, has reportedly been living in France for several years, and has been trying to apply for political asylum.

Her arrest has opened a fresh debate on whether Mr Sarkozy’s administration would this time around bow down to demands by Kigali to extradite the sought political suspects back to the country.

Past attempts by Rwanda to get suspects flown back home have received stiff rejections, with the French government rather opting to hear the cases at the local courts or transferring suspects to the international tribunal in Arusha, Tanzania.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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