FROM:

Great Lakes Human Rights Link

TO       : UK FOREIGN SECRETARY

Date: 25.09.2014

Your Excellency,

We have learned about a situation that we are seriously concerned about and would like to bring to your attention. It is our understanding that a couple of days ago many dead bodies have been recovered from Lake Rweru in Burundi but to the best of our understating they come from the Rwandan Side. Both governments have denied responsibility. Despite the repeated denials by the Rwandan government, many people have continued to disappear and their relatives have been intimidated. Indeed, the current case is the abduction of Mr.Paul Manzi Byabagamba the brother of Col. Tom Byabagamba and Dr. David Himbara respectively.  Mr. Paul Manzi was taken by unknown soldiers and taken to unknown destination.  The only crime commited by Mr Paul Manzi is being a relative to Col. Tom Byabagamba who is now incarcerated in the Military Prison in Kigali.  Despite government claims that they will carry on investigation into the disappearance of Mr. Manzi and be produced in court, no news of his fate and whereabouts has emerged.

We urge you, your Excellency to use your important office and other international human rights organizations like Amnesty international and Human Rights Watch, in calling upon the Rwandan government to respect the fundamental human rights of its Citizens, but also establish an independent investigation into the origin and the identity of the dead bodies recovered from Lake Rweru. We have also received information that unknown people are trying to exhume these dead bodies and relocate them. Therefore as a matter of urgency will call upon an independent inquiry and an autopsy to be done before these dead bodies are stolen by the people who probably killed these innocent people.

We further call upon the Rwandan government to bring to court Mr. Paul Manzi Byabagamba and to justice those who are responsible for all these murders and disappearance of innocent human beings, irrespective of their status.

Yours Sincerely,

Tom Higa

Interim Director Great Lakes Human Rights Link (GLHRL)

CC

UN SECREATRY GENERAL

USA AMBASSOR IN UK

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

BELGIAN AMBASSADOR IN UK

FRENCH AMBASSADOR IN UK

GERMAN AMBASSADOR UK

HIS EXCELLENCE THE PRESIDENT OF UGANDA

HIS EXCELLENCE THE PRESIDENT OF TANZANIA

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