Washington says no concrete concessions were made to secure the release of US permanent resident made famous by the 2004 film about his role saving Tutsis during the 1994 genocide
Paul Rusesabagina walks in handcuffs to a court in Kigali, Rwanda, February 26 2021. Picture: CLEMENT UWIRINGIYIMANA/REUTERS
His detention strained relations between the two countries. The US has said Rusesabagina was unlawfully detained, while Rwanda has bristled at the criticism, saying it would not be intimidated. Yolande Makolo, a spokeswoman for the Rwandan government, said the case was"an irritant in both directions".
The US congressional aide, who also asked not to be named, said the negotiations were advanced by moves from Washington and Rusesabagina himself to acknowledge Rwanda’s point of view. Momentum picked up over the past year as the Biden administration made a determination in May 2022 that Rusesabagina had been wrongfully detained.
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