By Doreen Umwiza
For many years, Rwandan refugees across the world have faced abuses, including arbitrary detention, forced return to Rwanda, killings in the hosting communities, and attack on their physical security without any form of accountability.
In Uganda, former Inspector General of Police, General Kale Kayihura, on 24th August 2018 was charged with aiding and abetting the kidnapping, killings and repatriation of more than a hundred Rwandan refugees among other charges.
1. In Uganda
Over the years, including more recently, International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI) has received several reports about threats, illegal arrests, attacks and forced returns of Rwandan refugees in Uganda. Many of such cases remain unreported, given the secrecy surrounding such abuses and the fear of reprisals, and are difficult to confirm. More than 50 Rwandan refugees based in Uganda were either kidnapped to Rwanda, disappeared or killed in 2008–2015.
A few examples include:
• In July 2010, Rwandan refugees were forcibly removed en masse from refugee settlements in south-western Uganda to Rwanda. Ugandan police officers used live rounds, wounding several in the process, to force refugees onto buses which dropped them in Rwanda.
• In November 2011, Charles Ingabire, a Rwandan journalist, was murdered when he left a bar in Kampala. He was a fierce government critic who had obtained refugee status in Uganda. An investigation was opened, but to date, nobody has been charged for involvement in this crime.
• Multiple sources confirmed to IRRI that on 20 December 2017, five Rwandan nationals were arrested in Mbarara, and one in Kampala. They were detained incommunicado for several days and allegedly tortured. Five of them were driven to the border with Rwanda nine days later and deported. According to Uganda’s army spokesperson, one was not deported because of her refugee status, and remained in incommunicado detention.
Read more cases here (https://medium.com/@david.himbara_27884/more-than-50-rwandan-refugees-based-in-uganda-were-either-kidnapped-to-rwanda-disappeared-or-b2dc69d94ae6)
2. In KENYA
In his speech at the Leadership Retreat on March 9, 2019, General Paul Kagame explained how he killed exiled Rwandan known as Seth SENDASHONGA in Nairobi (watch More on (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob3f9OhQ7kw&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR20el7X3j-ehHMeqSD612jX4NSPWht9pQ-1TmDWBcyw5rfsD5UpXeyHjoo) but not only him but many others were killed, kidnapped, or went missing mysteriously in Kenya-Nairobi under Kagame’s order. Here is few of them:
• May 15, 1998, Seth Sendashonga, the former Minister of the Interior who had taken the road to exile was killed in Nairobi, Kenya by the killers of the dictator Paul Kagame
• A few days later, Colonel Theoneste Lizinde and Augustin Bugirimfura were shot and found dead in Nairobi, Kenya by the dictator’s men.
• Recently, Emile Gafirita who was preparing to give his testimony accusing the dictator, was kidnapped by the men of Kagame Nairobi, two years ago without trace
• In year 2015, the former Rwandan Armed Forces (EX-FAR) soldier who worked at the International Criminal Court for Rwanda, and living in Nairobi, Kenya, Captain Chrysostome NTIRUGIRIBAMBE was reported missing.
• In 2019, a journalist of ihame.com NDOLIMANA SEMANA also known as Christophe Kanuma was assassinated in Nairobi. (https://glpost.com/breaking-news-dmi-operatives-in-nairobi-kenya-eliminate-ndorimana-semana-alias-kanuma-christophe-through-poison/)
• In this year 2020, UWIZEYIMANA Josiane, a Rwandan journalist and refugee leaving in Kenya missed mysteriously.
• The list of Rwandan refugees kidnapped or killed in Kenya is long, we remember Mashood Abiola, Jean De Dieu NDAMIRA, Jack Murenzi, Emmanuel KALINDA, Etc. Many Rwandans living in Nairobi, Kakuma Refugee Camp and Daadab are afraid of losing their lives …
Time and time again international human rights organizations like Amnestie International and Human Rights Watch call on host governments and UN agency for Refugees (UNHCR) to strengthen protection for Rwandan refugees and asylum seekers who may have justified fears for their safety in exile because they (organizations) are familiar with the dictator in question.