Ex-king says he is not a “tool”

Rwanda’s exiled former king, Kigeli V, has refused to be used as a “tool” by groups opposed to the current government who are seeking to restore the monarchy. “Don’t I have a brain?”, he said in an interview with the BBC Kinyarwanda service. “How can I accept to be used?”. Recent events in Rwanda, such as the resignation of the prime-minister and the parliamentary speaker fleeing to Uganda, have been linked to moves to bring back the king, including the alleged formation of an armed force. Speaking from the US, Kigeli said he would not return by force. “My return will be decided by Rwandans,” he said. “I will accept whatever decision they take in relation to my return.” He denied he had been meeting exiled groups to discuss ways of restoring the monarchy, although he said many people had asked him to return.