President Paul Kagame’s violence knows no bounds. In a speech in Kigali on April 22, 2017, he made an extraordinary statement. He said that men who assault women should be beaten.
As a president of a country, this is the most shameful thing to say. But this statement shows the true colours of the Rwandan ruler. He does not believe in laws.
In countries with laws – and Kagame’s Rwanda is not one of them – assault and its related charges are hybrid offences. A prosecutor can elect to proceed by, among other things, indictment. A “simple assault” in Canada by indictment, for example, can land the defendant a maximum sentence of 5 years in jail. Violent assault with bodily harm gets a defendant up to 10 years in prison.
Meanwhile, Kagame never explained the circumstances in which the Rwandan First Lady, Madame Jeannette Nyiramongi disappeared from the public view for over a month in 2016. When she resurfaced, she appeared to be the old shadow of herself.
What happened, Mr President?
By David Himbara
