For the second time in years, Rwanda has expelled a German ambassador over what it termed as “inappropriate and abusive” remarks he made towards the country and President Paul Kagame last year.
The Rwandan government wrote a letter to Berlin saying it would no longer work with Dr Peter Woeste further saying that they could not sustain the comments.
#UPDATE: #Germany recalls its ambassador in #Rwanda Dr. Peter Woeste over what is termed as “unacceptable behaviour”
This came days after the Government of Rwanda asked Germany counterparts to take a serious measure on the matter. pic.twitter.com/coUB3wWyxQ— Serial Tweeper (@serialTweeper) April 5, 2019
German media reports indicate that Woeste recently sent a cable to his home country criticising the Rwandan government.
The contents of Woeste’s letter however remain unknown.
However, sources say the comments were made late last year while he was addressing a group of other diplomats and later communicated to the government—which deemed them offensive.
In 2008, Rwanda expelled Germany’s ambassador and prepared to issue indictments and arrest warrants against 23 French officials in a dramatic escalation of diplomatic tensions over the 1994 genocide.
Dr Peter Woeste left the country on March 30, three months after the Rwandan government had written to Berlin saying it would no longer work with him.
“He made inappropriate remarks about Rwanda and about our President. We wrote to Germany showing why we could no longer work with him and they decided to recall him. Our relationship with Germany remains strong,” Olivier Nduhungirehe, State Minister for EAC Affairs told The EastAfrican.
As the African Union expressed “dismay and concern” at the arrest of a top aide to Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame in Frankfurt, the regime in Kigali said it was recalling its envoy to Berlin and his German counterpart must leave.