By Daniel M. Austin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa
Kigali, Rwanda- One of Rwanda’s most prominent opposition leaders, Victoire Ingabire, was arrested on Thursday, October 14 after being accused of ties to a terrorist organization. Ms. Ingabire was arrested at her home and brought to a police station in Kigali. She was implicated by Major Vital Uwumuremyi after he was questioned by Rwandan authorities.
Major Uwumuremyi is a former rebel commander of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). He was arrested while trying to cross the border from Rwanda into Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) with false identification papers. Major Uwumuremyi is facing charges of buying and distributing firearms and ammunition to a terrorist organization as well as threatening national security and order.
In January 2010, Ms. Ingabire returned to Rwanda after 16 years in exile. She had intended to run for president, challenging current president Paul Kagame, an ethnic Tutsi. However, she was barred from running in the August election. Along with her presidential aspirations, Ms. Ingabire is the leader of the FDU(United Democratic Forces)-Inkingi party, an opposition group made up of ethnic Hutu’s. During the Rwandan genocide, a conflict between Hutus and Tutsis, an estimated 800,000 people were killed, mostly ethnic Tutsis.
Ms. Ingabire was also arrested in April 2010 after she was accused of associating with a terrorist organization. Additionally, she was accused of making comments denying that the Rwandan genocide occurred. She was arrested under the country’s “genocide ideology” statutes which make it a crime to disagree with the official history of the Rwandan genocide. She was also charged with promoting genocide ideology and division.
After Ms. Ingabire was release in April, she was ordered not to travel outside the capital in anticipation of a trial, and Rwandan police continued to investigate her activities.
According to human rights groups. allegations of collaborating with terrorist organizations has been a threat used by the Rwandan government to silence opposition. This notion is further substantiated by a press release from Human Rights Watch on Friday, October 15 urging the Rwandan government to respect the rights of opposition parties and ensure that opposition leaders, like Ms. Ingabire, are treated fairly.
For more information, please see:
AFP — Rwandan police probe after opposition arrest – 15 October 2010.
BBC Africa — Rwandan opposition leader Victoire Ingabire arrested – 14 October 2010.
Human Rights Watch — Rwanda: Protect Rights and Safety of Opposition Leaders –15 October 2010.
Reuters Africa — Rwanda arrests opposition leader, rebel fugitive – 14 October 2010.
San Francisco Bay View — Rwandan opposition leader Victoire Ingabire arrested – 14 October 2010.