RWANDA: FDU-INKINGI CONDEMS ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES AND MANAHUNT FOR SUSPECTED NON-CONFORMISTS.

Justin Bahunga, Commissioner for External Relations and spokesperson-FDU-Inkingi

PRESS RELEASE

The FDU-Inkingi condemns in the strongest terms possible the enforced disappearance of Mr Rukerinka Silas from Ngoma, and the manhunt for Mr Marcel Nahimana a suspected-on conformist to the beliefs of the ruling party RPF. Rukerinka Silas disappeared on Thursday July 12, 2018 and Mr Marcel Nahimana is being hunted down by intelligence services.

Mr Rukerinka was called on Thursday the 12th July 2018 by Mr Rwakibibi Ezechiel, inviting to come to see him to discuss about a job he had found for him in the city of Gisenyi. He had promised to inform his wife on arrival in Gisenyi. He could not get him on the phone and three days later, the 15th July 2018, the wife called Mr Rwakibibi Ezechiel to enquire about her husband only to be told that he never saw him. We have learnt from reliable sources close to state intelligence network in Ngoma district, Eastern province, that Mr Rukerinka was suspected of being a supporter of FDU-Inkingi, something that his wife denies strongly. In Rwanda mere suspicion is treated as bad as having committed a crime. The family is completely devastated.

We would like to recall that a member of FDU-Inkingi Mr Habarugira Jean Damascene from the same sector was called to meet the intelligence officer in the military barracks of Huye in Kibungo on the 5th May 2017, only to find his body dumped in a hospital mortuary of Nyamata miles away from the barracks. The key suspect in the murder of its members Jean Damascene Habarugira, Mr Théophile Bizimana, who was arrested as key suspect in the gruesome crime, has been released and given work at a local taxi park.

Mr Marcel Nahimana is accused by local authorities of having been gathering details about people who were victims of extra-judicial killings in Rutsiro district.

We would like to recall a prominent lawyer in Kigali Mr Donat Mutunzi left for work on the 13th of April 2018 and the family failed to trace him when he did not come back home only to be told by the Police nearly two weeks later that he had committed suicide using his bed sheet in Police custody.

We call upon the Rwanda government to take appropriate investigations to find Mr Silas Rukerinka and to stop the witch hunt of people suspected of not supporting the ruling party RPF.

Done in London, on July 19, 2018.

Justin Bahunga,
FDU-Inkingi Commissioner for External Relations and spokesperson.

Contacts: [email protected]; [email protected];

Phone: +44-7988-883-576