Paul Rusesabagina, whose efforts to save people during the 1994 genocide inspired the Hollywood film *Hotel Rwanda*, arrived in the United States on Wednesday after being released from a Rwandan prison last week, the White House said. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan welcomed him on Twitter, saying, “I’m pleased to welcome Paul Rusesabagina back to the United States. We’re glad to have him back on U.S. soil & reunited with his family & friends who’ve long waited for this day to come.” President Joe Biden also praised the release, calling it a “happy outcome.” “Paul’s family is eager to welcome him back to the United States, and I share their joy at today’s good news,” Biden said in a statement on Saturday.
Rusesabagina, 68, had spent more than 900 days behind bars before being freed on Saturday under an accord mediated by Qatar between the U.S. government and Rwanda. The agreement led the Kigali government to commute his 25‑year sentence on terrorism charges. A Belgian citizen and permanent U.S. resident, he has lived in exile in San Antonio, Texas, for over a decade. A vocal critic of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Rusesabagina disappeared in 2020 during a visit to Dubai and reappeared days later in Rwanda handcuffed. His family alleged he was kidnapped and taken to Rwanda against his will to stand trial. In September 2021, he was sentenced to 25 years for his ties to an opposition group with an armed wing. During the trial, he acknowledged a leadership role in the group but denied responsibility for attacks carried out by its armed wing.
The release comes as Washington seeks to reset its historically close but recently strained ties with Rwanda. Relations had been soured by Rusesabagina’s detention and U.S. accusations—denied by Kigali—that Rwanda had deployed troops into the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and supported rebels there. Rwanda says the release reflects a shared desire to restore the U.S.–Rwanda relationship. Rusesabagina was celebrated worldwide after actor Don Cheadle portrayed him in the 2004 film *Hotel Rwanda*, which depicted him as a hero who risked his life to shelter hundreds of people while managing a luxury hotel during the 1994 genocide. (Reuters, AFP, AP)
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