In southern Rwanda, a high-ranking official of an opposition party has been killed by unknown persons.
The leader of the FDU Inkingi party Victoire Ingabire, whose party colleague was the murdered Sylidio Dusabumuremyi, suspects behind the act a political motive. Reuters news agency said: "It is clear that this serves to intimidate opposition figures." Dusabumuremyi worked as a national coordinator for her party.
According to the National Police Department, Dusabumuremyi was stabbed on Monday evening at his workplace, the canteen of a health station in the community of Gitarama about 40 kilometers west of the capital Kigali. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the crime.
"That's too much," said Ingabire, pointing to several unexplained deaths by members of her party, which has so far been denied state recognition. In March, a close associate Ingabires was found dead, she was also murdered after parties.
Several FDU Inkingi trailers disappeared without a trace
In July and August also disappeared the longtime party members Eugene Ndereyimana and Boniface Twagirimana. Twagirimana's lane was lost in a high-security prison where he had been transferred five days earlier.
Ingabire said to head of state Paul Kagame, who had the duty to protect all Rwandans alike. "He needs to understand that members of the opposition are also part of the Rwandan population who deserve protection."
Ingabire had challenged Kagame in the 2012 presidential election as a strong opposition woman. Because of sedition, she was imprisoned for eight years before Kagame pardoned her last year.
AFP
Ingabire after her conviction in 2012
The same thing happened before the last election - the Kagame with more than 98 percent - of the opposition politician Diane Rwigara. From her appeared before the election assembled nude pictures, the end of their candidacy. Eventually, she was arrested and charged with fraud and incitement.
Amnesty International said the death of Dusabumuremyi is very worrying. "Worse still, it's followed by a series of suspicious attacks," Amnesty East Africa director Joan Nyanyuki told AP news agency. Now there must be an independent investigation of the death, as well as "the cases of other FDU Inkingi members who have been found dead or have simply disappeared."
