Rwanda's High Commissioner in Mozambique, Donat Ndamage, denied on Saturday (13) that the extradition agreement signed between the two countries was aimed at persecuting political opponents of President Paul Kagame.

Speaking during the ceremony to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, the Rwandan diplomat stressed that the agreement will be important for arresting and trying criminals, including those who took part in the 1994 genocide and who are refugees in Mozambique.

"Some countries have started to prosecute those who committed the genocide in Rwanda and we encourage all countries to do the same so that the people who are hiding in those countries are also prosecuted. Using this framework, this legal instrument of the possibility of extraditing Rwandans who are hiding in Mozambique, this would be an advantage," said Donat Ndamage, quoted by RFI.

Against the fears of some segments of Mozambican society and Rwandans living in Mozambique, the diplomat denies that this extradition agreement will be used as an instrument to persecute political opponents of President Paul Kagame.

"The problem is not about those who oppose the Rwandan government. The agreement is about those who have committed crimes and are hiding in Mozambique or about Mozambicans who can hide in Rwanda, so it's not about the opposition," said Ndamage.