The concluded security meeting in Kigali attended by the Commander of the Division that is responsible for Kigali and Eastern parts of Rwanda Gen. Mubaraka Muganga has vowed to crack down on the vendors in the City; according to him, “those who engage in the illegal trade on our streets will be dealt with harshly and we shall waste no time taking them to our sister security organ the police, I think you understand what I mean,” he asked?

The Great Lakes Human Rights Link is again very seriously concerned with this loose talk by Rwanda senior military and police officers over the extrajudicial killings over alleged street vendors and now the so called terrorism suspects.

Rwanda government ratified the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment on 15/12/2008, it’s inconceivable that senior Military and Police officers are either ignorant or intentionally and deliberately closing their eyes on the consequences of violations of international  law and norms.

The above sanctioned killings were echoed by the commander of the  204 Brigade which is in charge of Kigali City Brig. Gen. Denis Rutaha and his Police counterpart ACP Bosco Rangira.  Do these officers really know what’s happening on the door steps of their neighboring country Uganda?

The lawyers on the other side of Uganda have worked had to bring to book the perpetrators of torture and other inhuman degrading offences, they said that torture is a very serious offence that should see every lawyer and citizen, rise against it. “Torture is a very serious offence and every citizen, especially the lawyers, journalists, and every other profession, must rise up to fight it. There is a growing level of impunity within the Uganda Police to the extent that the head of Uganda Police, General Kayihura, calls a press conference to justify torture.” Mr Walyemera said.
He added “as defenders of the poor and ignorant, we must bring its perpetrators to account.”

While the recent killings and torture of innocent Rwandans had dwarfed those of Uganda, many Rwandans inside and outside the country have kept silent on these human rights violations, these senior Rwandan officers both in Military and Police have publicly gloried or sanctioned these killings and Torture.

Do we need more evidence to prosecute these criminals? The case of the century of Dr. Leo Mugesera is still in the courts of Rwanda, this case is on the loose and reckless but dangerous talk when as a leader in the former MRND Party, Dr. Leo Mugesera publicly incited violence which resulted in the killings of hundreds and thousands of Tutsis two years after his speech at Kabaya(Gisenyi) in Rwanda.

Such government officials who go shopping and publicly justify the unjustifiable should be brought to the full force of the law; they will never hide from the international law, they might be glorifying ignorantly or just to please their master, but they should be warned that they will be prosecuted at an opportunity time.

Joseph Ruhumuriza

Legal Advisor

Great Lakes Human Rights Link.