As news broke that Ms. Victoire Ingabire may be headed to prison once again yesterday, Inyenyeri News reached out to sources within the security apparel to try and understand the relentless media lynching she is subjected to since her failed attempted bid for the presidential seat in Rwanda in 2010.

What security threat does Ms. Victoire Ingabire really represent in Rwanda? Does she really recruit and send young men to neighboring countries where they join ” rebel groups ” that then attack Rwanda? Is she a genocide ideologue in disguise as often alleged?

By all accounts, the sources cited in this article agree that RDF is prepared to defend the country from any would-be assailant, they also agree that the said rebel groups ( FDLR, CNRD, and P5) have been considerably weakened by FARDC’s operation in the EAST of DRC recently as corroborated by the latest UN report on the matter of armed groups in the great lakes region.

None of the sources approached for this article could assert beyond doubt that Ms. Ingabire was a genocide ideologue or that she recruited youth to send to armed groups as recently alleged. However, they seemed to agree that she posed a potential security problem:

As one of these sources put it: “ubu tuvugana ntamutwe witwaje intwaro yaba FDLR iyo cyangwa CNRD cyangwa babandi ngo ni P5 batubuza gusinzira, dufite amakuru ahagije…Kukibazo cy ‘ umutekano muri EAC hari amasezerano ntavogerwa ariko kandi ntiwakwirara ngo wirengagize ko bamwe mubaturanyi batatwifuriza ineza”( Roughly translated:”…as we speak, no armed group poses an immediate threat to us. We are not concerned with armed groups but it is no secret that even though there are treaties guaranteeing regional security as far as EAC is concerned, we are surrounded with hostility”)

We put this assertion to a second source. If RDF is not threatened by any negative force what did he make of accusations against Ms. Ingabire?

“…guteza umutekano mucye burya si ukuyoboka imitwe yitwaje intwaro gusa. Ikibazo mbona ateza ni uku kuntu ahora mu itangazamakuru avuga . Hari abantu bishobora kuba bitanezeza bamaze iminsi bibaza icyo yizeye gituma avuga uko avuga, ngirango waramwumvishe nawe, ntacyo yikanga.” ( Roughly translated:”…being a threat to security is not just joining an armed group. I believe it is her media exposure that has made some people unhappy. Those people have been wondering who may be influencing her to speak as boldly as I am sure you have heard her “)

A source close to RIB was more blunt : ” Ingabire uwo… nimba ashaka amahoro muri uru Rwanda, hari abantu n’ibintu akeneye gucikaho.” (” If This woman Ingabire wants peace in this Rwanda there are people and things needs to forsake”)

The same source close to RIB was asked about Ms. Ingabire’s right to freedom of speech as guaranteed by the Rwandan constitution. ” Ingabire afite uburenganzira bungana nubw’abanyarwanda bose bwo guceceka, uwihaye kuvuga aba yiteguye ingaruka zabyo.” (” Ingabire has the same right to be silent as all Rwandans, if she wishes to speak then she should be prepared to face the consequences.”)

To conclude, it seems Ms. Ingabire’s media exposure has upset powerful people in Rwanda. These powerful people disapprove of her acquaintances and they fear her outspokenness could spread to other disgruntled Rwandans.

Inyenyeri News Group.