By Nancy Aheebwa
In 1990 Paul Kagame the current ruler of Rwanda together with fellow young Rwandans under a Tutsi rebel group the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) invaded Rwanda and subsequently captured power from former President Juvenal Habyarimana. Rwanda Patriotic Front was one of the parties of the conflict during the Rwandan Civil War and the armed force which ended the Rwandan genocide.
Kagame had lived as a refugee at Nshungerezi refugee camp in the Toro sub-region, Uganda in 1962 and it was around this time that he first met afande Fred Rwigyema, the future leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front. They later teamed up with more Rwanda refugees in Uganda who would help him invade Rwanda and overthrow the Habyarimana regime.
These Rwandan youth who had fought in NRA war in Uganda believed they were also going back home to bring a fundamental change in their country.
Very few who survived to date believe their struggle was in vain.
About 90% of those who helped Kagame during the RPA war died mysteriously while a few living ones are subjected to every day military detention or house arrests.
Lanky and soft-spoken, Rwanda’s Kagame portrays himself as a modern-day politician who tries to use social media as a way of championing development.
However, his opponents accuse him of being the latest in a long line of authoritarian rulers Africa has ever had.
For years, UN investigators have secretly compiled evidence that implicate him and his other high-level officials in mass killings before, during and after the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
The explosive evidence always comes from Tutsi soldiers who broke with the Kagame regime and risked their lives to expose what they knew. Today, we look at former Kagame’s comrades and how they met their death.
Major General Fred Rwigema : He was the original founder of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). In 1960 he and his family fled to Uganda and settled in a refugee camp in Nshungerezi, Ankole following the Rwandan Revolution of 1959 and the ouster of King Kigeli V. His mother was from the King’s clan the Abanyiginya. The abanyiginya are hated by the Rwandan leader to the marrow.
Gen Fred Rwigema was charismatic commander and leader and on 1 October 1990, he led the splinter group of 10,000 NRA troops in an invasion of northern Rwanda. On the second day of the struggle, Rwigyema was shot in the head and died at Nyabwenshogozi Hill.
Rwigyema was murdered by two of his sub-commanders after he had called a staff meeting with three close associates – Peter Bayingana, Chris Bunyenyezi, and Stephen Ndugute. During the meeting, a fierce argument over strategy developed. Rwigyema wanted to advance slowly in order to politicize the Hutu peasantry and get them to join the RPF.
Bayingana and Bunyenyezi wanted to seize power quickly, ignoring the Tutsi-Hutu divide.
Dr Major Peter Bayingana and Chris Bunyenyezi: According to Maj Micheal Mupende an exiled former RPA war hero, Bayingana and Bunyenyezi were ambushed and killed by another RPA force, at Karere in Bugaragara before Ryabega, which was under the command of Major Paul Kagame.
Col Adam Waswa. This one was strangled from inside the car reportedly by Dan Gapfizi on instruction of Paul Kagame.
Col Vedaste Kayitare: He was killed through poison after sharing a meal with the president.
Col Steven Ndugute: He was assassinated through poison by a one Dr Richard Rutatina under the instruction from above.
Col William Bagire: Assassinated through poison by also by a medic on instructions.
Col Charles Ngoga; (Umunyiginya mother) poisoned by his assumed friend on instruction.
Lt. Col Wilson Rutayisire; (Umunyiginya mother) assassinated by for opposing the Congo war.
Col Patrick Karegeya: He assassinated in South Africa by Rwandan state agents. Court in South Africa has since asked Rwandan government to extradite the killers to South Africa for prosecution. Kigali has declined to cooperate.
Lt Col Nathan Ngumbayingwe; brutally assassinated by a sniper from state security.
Lt Gen Jacques Musemakweli; (Umunyiginya mother), assassinated through poison due to ongoing underground power struggle in Rwanda.
Brig General Dan Gapfizi: He was also assassinated through a staged accident; the scientific assassination was led by Lt Col Francis Gakwerere and Col Franco Rutagengwa alias Mapuwa.
Major Alex Ruzindana: Was kidnapped and murdered in 2001 on the orders from above.
Major John Birasa and Captain Eddy: They were both abanyiginya young officers and they were assassinated on orders from above.
Major John Sengati: He was ambushed and assassinated by a team led by state operatives using silencer pistols.
Cmdr.: Sam Byaruhanga: He was assassinated for being a trusted confidant to Gen Fred Rwigema who had earlier been killed in the RPA/F liberation struggle.
Major Emmanuel Nkubana: He was kidnapped, tortured to his death through skinning torture method and his body dissolved in acid.
Captain Hubert Kamugisha: He was also executed because he knew a lot of the president’s private secrets.
Colonel Charles Ngogawas . Friends and former associates say he assassinated because he competed he competed with the president’s companies for milk market in Rwanda.
More than six times, the milk of Colonel Charles Ngoga’s cows was poured right in the middle of the road by bodyguards of President Kagame.
He had on several occasions complained whether Kagame had fought for Rwanda’s freedom and was thus accused of planning a coup d’état.
Finally, he was killed with a very violent poison poured in his drink by Colonel Dan Gapfizi.
Lt Col Wilson Rutayisire aka Shaban: He was a former ORINFOR director and was shot by Lieutenant-Colonel Mulisa.
He was suspected of being the head of a group of soldiers exiled in Uganda who did not agree with Kagame’s leadership.
Major Rachid Mugisha aka Kyojo:
He was killed by an injection administered by Major Dr Joseph Ntarindwa at the military hospital in Kanombe.
The family believes be died because of his friendship with Captain Serwanda, himself assassinated under the pretext that he was preparing a war against the FPR.
Maj Alex Ruzindana. He was assassinated sometime after his demobilization from the RPA.
It was claimed that he belonged to the group of soldiers who prepared a coup d’etat. He was cut down by Captain Butera.
That it was believed he wanted to lead a coup d’etat due to the fact he was openly opposed to the massacres and assassinations of people because of differences in their opinions.
Major Dr Ndahiro and Dr. Jean Gahungu. They were killed towards the end of July 1994, near Rwamagana near Kayonza.
In a car Major Dr Ndahiro drove, they fell into an ambush. The driver tried to dodge the killers and lost the control of the car. The two officers and one of the members of their escort were killed in this accident.
Major Ndahiro was eliminated not only because he had made brilliant studies, but also because he did not like the intrigue. In spite of his relations with Inkotanyi, Dr. Jean Gahungu was eliminated because his/her son had a strong friendship with the family of President Juvénal Habyarimana (today his/her son married one of Habyarimana’s daughters).
Major John Birasa and Captain Eddy: These perished in an ambush which was set up by Birasa’s deputy.
The major was killed because he did not accept the faulty operation of the FPR and an army mercenary.
In the years 1993-1994, it was he who was responsible for the logistics of the soldiers who infiltrated Kigali and sowed insecurity in all corners of the country.
He also took part in the attack against President Juvénal Habyarimana’s plane.
By killing him, they wanted to prevent him from revealing what occurred, especially because he started to show his dissatisfaction of the way in which the country and the army were being directed.
Captain Hubert Kamugisha. He had been used to commit several atrocities including the assassinations of politicians, including Minister Félicien Gatabazi of the PSD, Martin Bucyana of the CDR and others. He was also used to place mines in Rwanda, particularly in the town of Kigali at the beginning of the year 1994. He was used to collect more thorough information during the days which preceded the attack against the presidential plane.
Captain S. Kavuma. This officer was demobilized from the RPA because he did not get along any more with the RPF’s methods. On the way to Uganda, he was stopped at Gatuna. He was taken to the DMI in Kami and killed using a worn hoe (agafuni).
Captain David Sabuni. He was accused of disapproving the RPF’s methods, in particular the unfair promotions and nominations at the director of positions in the RRA.
He decided to go into exile in Uganda. Paul Kagame convened a military meeting where he asked for all the brigade commanders to use all the means at their disposal, in collaboration with the DMI, to repatriate all the soldiers who had exiled themselves in Uganda.
Thus Colonel Mubarakh Muganga tried to come into contact with Captain David Sabuni. When he managed to meet him, he lied to him and said that he had explained the problem to President Paul Kagame who, also, found it comprehensible.
Colonel Muganga invited the captain to return to be restored in his rank of lieutenant and continue to fight against the RPF’s methods.
Captain Sabuni initially had some hesitations but Colonel Muganga reassured him by promising that he took care of business.
The colonel then sent money to him and the means necessary to return at his discretion. Arriving at Gatuna, the captain was bound by the DMI and assassinated after a lengthy torture.
Captain Serwanda: He was killed with the Akagera National Park with his escort on allegations that he wanted to launch war against government. The news of his death quickly spread that he was killed while trying to organize an armed rebellion in the forest to reverse.
Lieutenant Aloys Rupari. He was assassinated in Mulindi (Kanombe) by soldiers of the Republican Guard commanded by Lieutenant Bosco Ndayisaba who had received orders from Captain Silas Udahemuka.
He was killed because he denounced the injustice that characterized the arrests and imprisonment of the population.
2nd Lt Dan Ndaruhutse. He was a bodyguard of Paul Kagame in the Republican Guard and was killed at the same time with another soldier.
He was killed quite simply because dared to ask why his fellow-soldiers were killed brutally.
Lt Karegeya. He was in the 3rd battalion with the NDT during the war of 1994 and was killed by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Kayonga in Kigali sometime after the end of the war.
Lt Rwagasana. He was a Hutu who spoke English and French and was used as an interpreter for Paul Kagame in the war.
He was cut down by Captain Jimmy Muyango in the 101st Battalion.
His elimination was explained by the fact he was Hutu, and he did not have any more confidence in the High Command that ensured Kagame’s safety, that he knew all the correspondences of Kagame, and that he held fundamental information on the assassinations of politicians, including Juvénal Habyarimana.
His death was described as accidental. He was replaced by Lieutenant Jean-Bosco Kazura as the translator-interpreter.
Lieutenant Dan Twahirwa .He was eliminated following the sour remarks he made at the time of his stay in the Kibungo military prison with regards to the high command of the RPA, the DMI, and the legal military services that imprisoned soldiers unjustly.
Lieutenant Fred Gatumbura. He was the driver of Paul Kagame for several years and thus knew many secrets.
After losing his credibility in the army following rumors that he had a direct family ties with a Hutu (and after these rumors were reinforced by his relations with a Hutu woman with whom he was even going to marry in Kibuye) He was poisoned and everyone was led to believe that he had died of AIDS.
2nd Lt Peter Sempa. He was the personal bodyguard of Paul Kagame since the beginning of the war.
After being suspected of supporting the counter-cells, one deduced he could reveal to them crucial information relative to the death of Juvénal Habyarimana, because he had taken part in the loading of the missiles.
Thus, military authorities had him directly put in the battalions that fought in Zaire.
It is there that he was shot down at the time of an attack simulated by the elements of the RPA which had led him there.
2nd Lt Jean- Claude Ruraza. He belonged to the Directorate of Military Intelligence. He was suspected of not supporting the program to exterminate the hutu population whereas this was the principal task of any DMI officer.
The RPA preferred to eliminate him .
First Sergeant Nyirumuringa . He was shot in Kigali at the place where he often went to drink.
He had been used against his will to transport corpses and people to be taken out to Nyungwe Forest where they were incinerated. He was killed to prevent him from telling anyone later.
Major Lambert Rugambagye . He was killed in the military prison of Kibungo at the beginning of the year 1997.
Capt. Théoneste Hategekimana. A commander of the Gendarmes in Gitarama, was assassinated.
He was a victim because of his open opposition to the massive arrests and massacres of the population, in particular of Hutu intellectuals like during the setting of the RPA infiltrations in Gitarama prefecture.
Assassinations of ex-FAR and people were carried out because they had soldiers of the FAR abound in their families.
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The security and intelligence agencies say they have landed into a plan by the opposition National Unity Platform members to riot in the city over the detention of legislator Muhammed Ssegirinya.
According to an intelligence source, NUP members are mobilizing people in areas like Nakulabye, Kiyaye zone, Kamwokya and areas of Kawempe to take part in the planned protests.
A source adds that the planners claim that they want MP Ssegirinya to be released for medication.
MP Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana and several other people are accused of masterminding the recent machete attacks in Masaka sub region leaving close to 30 people dead.
On October 25th 2021, the two were denied court bail by the Masaka High court on grounds that letting them out of jail they would jeopardize investigations since they’re currently under trial.
Kawempe North Member of Parliament Muhammad Segirinya who is on remand at Kigo Prison over charges of inciting violence, while appearing before Buganda Road Grade court , Segirinya displayed injuries on his foot which he claimed were as a result of torture during the time of his arrest.
However, Uganda Prisons services spokesperson Frank Baine refuted Ssegirinya’s allegations of torture.
Speaking on NBS’ Morning breeze, Baine denied claims insisting that Hon. Ssegirinya was brought to prison while diabetic and so there has not been any form of torture.
“It has never been in our interest that we torture our family members. Yes, Hon. Ssegirinya Muhammad is suffering from diabetes, and other ailments and we are treating him for as long as he is with us, many times we receive these inmates from court when they are already sick,” he said.
Baine emphasized that as Prisons, they do not torture people.
“In prison we carry our names on our chests. Let anyone who says they have been tortured tell us who tortured them,” he noted.
A cording to a source at Doctors hospital in Sseguku where Ssegirinya had earlier been admitted, he says that the MP was advised not to put on closed shoes for long hours something that he was against, he adds that this condition worsened the wound on his feet, leading to cuts, sores or calluses.
He further added that diabetes and high blood sugar can cause nerve damage called diabetic neuropathy. Neuropathy causes tingling and numbness, wound like damages on the body that affect the body’s ability to heal wounds.
Meanwhile, security says it is following up and will not hesitate to apprehend the planners of the said protest who are planning to disrupt business in Kampala by causing chaos.
Source: https://commandonepost.com/
