Muhanga Police Station 

The Great Lakes Human Rights Link is again seriously concerned with the brutal acts of killing innocent Rwandans by the Rwandan Police.  Whereas the death Penalty was abolished in the Rwandan legal system, the brutal acts of the Rwandan police on innocent people have increased; indeed a Rwandan police officer can shoot a suspect for just causing an assault.

The killing of Mbyariyehe Olivier in Muhanga this morning is a culmination of not only the brutal police of the RPF led government but also unprofessional conduct of a force that is responsible for keeping law and order.

The spokesperson of the Rwandan police ACP Celestin Twahirwa, interestingly defends the killing of Mbyariyihe Olivier for just cutting trees in what he calls government forest to make charcoal. Rwanda’s unemployment especially in the youth is the highest in the region; unfortunately, no one has the guts to publicly accuse the RPF policies of creating the big gap between the rich and the poor.

Why should you shoot a youth for cutting trees moreover in the government forest? Why don’t you bring to account all these corrupt officials who have swindled billions of dollars?

The Great Lakes Human Rights Link condemns in the strongest terms possible the killing of Mbyariyehe Olivier and other Rwandans who have been butchered by the real police that is supposed to protect them.

The rule of law that governs the democratic nations in which Rwanda claims to be a member upholds the principle that any suspect is presumed innocent until is proven guilty by the courts of law.

Therefore, the Rwandan Police has no justification whatsoever, morally and legally to shoot a person and claim that he was escaping the prison.  We call upon the Rwandan government to allow an independent inquiry in this particular killing of Mbyariyehe Olivier and the general inquiry on the unprofessional conduct that has characterized the   Rwandan police.

We equally call upon our partners like Amnesty international and Human Rights Watch, to investigate all these killings and the Rwandan government should urgently bring these individuals to book because they are not only tarnishing the image of the Rwandan Police but would discredit the Rwandan government as whole.

Noble Marara

Executive Secretary

Great Lakes Human Rights Link.