“PRESIDENT OF RWANDA KICKS OUT 8 CHINESE NATIONALS,” begins a message posted on a Facebook page with more than 75,000 followers on 13 June 2022.
It then claims that Rwandan president Paul Kagame had ordered that 18 “Chinese nationals” be deported.
The message reads: “AFRICAN Giant Leader, President of Rwanda General Paul Kagame has ordered for immediate deportation of 18 Chinese nationals, ‘the 18 investors were found guilty of mistreating Rwandan workers and grubbing land on which they operated their business’. President Kagame said.”
The claim was also posted elsewhere on Facebook, and on Twitter.
Did Kagame order the deportation of 18 Chinese nationals for mistreating workers in Rwanda? We checked.
‘Didn’t happen’
Initial research on the claim led to a similar statement that started circulating online on 31 May 2020. In response to a tweet with the claim in 2020, Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo warned that it was false.
In 2021, Africa Check debunked a similar claim.
There are no reports from any reputable Rwandan media organisations of Kagame making such a statement.
And the message’s header says eight Chinese nationals were kicked out of Rwanda, but further down it puts the number at 18.
On 14 June 2022, South African journalist Sophie Mokoena tweeted Makolo asking to chat about a Twitter post with the claim.
“This is fake news. Didn’t happen,” the Rwandan government spokesperson tweeted in response.
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