A difficult, predictable, but somehow necessary path to Rwandan democracy
History is often an eternal repetition of the human experience.
During the events leading to the 60s in Rwanda, there is a contextual
significant anecdotal story referring to the social unrest which
prevailed at the time, and which was caused by the oppression suffered
from the Tutsi aristocracy by the Hutu population.
Joseph Gitera, a Hutu political leader from that period, who
apparently was as vocal as Victoire Ingabire could be about the concerns
of Hutus under the regime of Paul Kagame, was considered by the ruling
Tutsi as the most representative voice of the then oppressed citizens.
The then Tutsi King, Mutara Rudahigwa, after lengthy consultations
with his closest advisers on the political situation concerning a
variety of pressing demands from the Hutu population as presented by
Joseph Gitera and other Hutu leaders, said that killing the Hutu
politician would not solve the problems, but instead finding the root
causes of the population’s demands and addressing them would do.
Umuvugizi Newspaper was banned for six months in order to let it not
cover objectively, among other Rwandan issues, the rigged elections of
August 9th, 2010. After the elections, the ban was lifted.
But the newspaper, which had seen one of its journalists, Jean Leonard
Rugambage assassinated on June 24th, told the Rwanda Media
High Council, that it would only return to operate from Rwanda, once the
issues it raised and got it banned will have been addressed by Paul
Kagame’s regime.
On January 9th, 2010, in Brussels, while replying to a
question from a supporter about her security once in Rwanda, Victoire
Ingabire said, ‘I don’t have any army to protect me. I have confidence
in the security of the 
Rwandan
government to protect its citizens. But I am also conscious that they
may imprison me or kill me. What I demand from those left behind is to
continue from where I will have fallen.’
Rwandan
government to protect its citizens. But I am also conscious that they
may imprison me or kill me. What I demand from those left behind is to
continue from where I will have fallen.’
She has been continuously harassed, intimidated starting straight from the day of her arrival in Kigali, on January 17th,
2010. In April, she was arrested, imprisoned and then released on bail.
Since then she was under house arrest, with restricted freedom of
movement. Silvain Sibomana, Secretary General of FDU-Inkingi provides in
the following lines a detailed account of Victoire Ingabire‘s situation
from October 8th, 2010 onwards.
08th October – 04:00 pm – Police siege starts. Until the arrest on 14th October, Victoire Ingabire remained indoors.
09th October - Victoire asked the police spokesperson what was going on and she was told there was nothing to worry about.
11th October - Victoire reached the
Prosecutor Ruberwa on phone and asked whether the bail conditions had
changed because of the police siege. The prosecutor seemed to be
surprised and promised to ask the Criminal Investigation Department.
14th October - 12:50 pm – A police team
entered the property, put Madame Victoire Ingabire under arrest, and
took her to CID headquarters. The police spokesperson informed the
public that she is arrested because of new evidence implicating her in
the formation of a terrorist organization and that a key witness was
arrested the day before along the DRC common border with documents and
details implicating her.
14th October – In the evening, she is transferred to Kicukiro police detention facility.
14th October – In the evening,
FDU-Inkingi team brought her a mattress, clothes, blanket and hygienic
items. The food was taken to the detention center as well. All the items
are given to the guards and never to the detainee.
15th October - Two
lawyers visited her, and noticed she was still in handcuffs since the
arrest. She slept in a seated position on the floor, and no personal
item was provided. She did not eat. The lead lawyer discussed the
detention conditions with the security officers and was told that they
did not make decision. He rushed to the CID headquarters and left with
no assurance that the situation will improve.
16th October - The jailers
decided to give only the blanket. She is still in handcuffs. No
mattress, no clothes, no hygienic stuff. The lawyer discussed the
situation with the hierarchy. In the evening, the handcuffs were removed
for the night. All the food provided is returned untouched. No member
of the party or nobody from her house is allowed to see her, or to talk
to her. There is a total blackout on her status. At this stage there was
no doubt, she was not eating. We did not know whether she was given
food or if she was unable to eat because of 24-hour handcuffs.
18th October - She is taken to Gasabo
Court House for the Prosecutor’s interrogation. She is in the same
outfit she had the time of her arrest. Her hair is undone; she is in
handcuffs and looks weak.
18th October – Late night, a Medical
Doctor is rushed to her cell. The blood pressure has dropped
dangerously, and some medication is given. The Police accepted this time
to give the mattress and hygienic items.
19th October - The lawyer asked in a
letter to the Police Commissioner to allow the client to go to hospital
or to be seen by an independent Doctor.
18th – 21st October – She is
subjected to Prosecutor’s interrogations at the Gasabo Court House. She
is always brought in handcuffs. She is looking weak, exhausted and under
duress.
21st October: Morning hours, the police
rushed in again some medical staff and some medication is given again
before the afternoon Prosecutor’s confrontation exercise with the
state-prepared key witness Major Vital Uwumuremyi. During the
confrontation, the key witness claimed that he was given in 2008 – 2009
at least 1,000 USD to create, train a rebel group and to purchase
weapons. He informed that since his repatriation in Rwanda in February
2009, he has never been involved in any other rebel activity. This gives
an impression that the terrorist allegations are over 2 years old and
that police statements in this respect are not accurate, for a reason.
22nd October - She is again seen by
police medical doctor. Until now, people from our political party are
not allowed to see her. A bail hearing is supposed to happen on the 25th
October at the Gasabo Court House.
26th October – The bail was refused.
It is unfortunate that political leaders, and among them African
dictators particularly, don’t learn from the past. The more you oppress
people, the more voices from the oppressed you radicalize against you.
After the recent imprisonment of Victoire Ingabire, young Rwandans in
Kigali announced that they wanted to go on a hunger strike to show to
the world the level of injustice the imprisoned politician and those
that she represents suffered under Paul Kagame’s regime. These are
pacifist people who are ready to give up their lives for a cause they
believe to be just, but without jeopardizing anybody else’s life. And
unfortunately, radicals are not always pacifists. If I had to deal with
any I would rather deal with a Victoire Ingabire rather than a Paul
Kagame type. Only of course if I value human life.
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