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Human Rights abuses by the Rwanda National Police

His Excellence Mr. Sheikh Mussa Fazil HARERIMANA January 2, 2009

Minister of Internal Security N : 001H/PK/019
Republic of Rwanda
P.O Box 446 Kigali – RWANDA

His Excellence,

I am writing on behalf of the Organization for Peace, Justice and Development in
Rwanda (OPJDR), Inc. based in the United States, to express our concern about the
Human Rights abuses by the Rwanda National Police (RNP) following the selectively
mass arrests after the grenade attacks in Kigali on December 28, 2008.
Following the attacks on grenades by unknown assailants last Sunday night of December
28, 2008 around 8:30 pm, at Kinamba-II junction and at “Six Heures à Six Heures” bar
successively, and left at least sixteen people with minor injuries, among them seven were still admitted at Kigali University Hospital by next day, OPJDR is deeply concerned by the way the Rwanda government is handling the situation.
According to the “New Times”, a pro-government news paper, as appeared at
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=13760&article=12088. Right after the
attacks, the police proceeded by selectively arresting more than 370 of Hutu population from nearby precincts including those living in Kiyovu, Gisozi, Gasave, Nyabugogo,Kimisagara, Kiruhura, Gatsata, Muhima and Kacyiru.

OPJDR is concerned by the discriminatively arresting only one ethnic group without any leading investigation done. One can wonder the basis of those arrests. Does this mean 5830 West Thunderbird Rd, Ste B8-PMB207 Glendale, AZ 85306
PHONE: (603) 413-5510 & (602) 412-3787 www.opjdr.org
OPJDR is non-profit and apolitical. Its mission is to promote the respect of human rights and Cultural, educational, and economic development in the Great Lakes Region of Africa.
that only Hutus are suspicious for such attacks? How two grenades tossed in two spots in a city could involve more than 370 arrests and in addition from only one ethnic group?

OPJDR urges the government of Rwanda and especially the Rwanda National Police to
improve its human right abuse records and therefore cease the ethnic discrimination and make use of their true impartiality in their quest to protect all Rwandan population from all walks of lives.

Sincerely,

Pascal Kalinganire
Coordinator General

CC:
Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-Moon
United Nations Secretary-General
UN Headquarters, Room S-3800
New York, NY 10017, EEUU
Fax: +1 212-963-2155
Honorable Condoleeza Rice
Secretary of State
US State Department
Washington, DC 20520

Excellency Mr. Kenneth Roth
Executive Director
The Director of Human Rights Watch
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor
New York, NY 10118-3299 USA
Tel: 1-(212) 290-4700, Fax: 1-(212) 736-130
Honorable Irene Khan
Secretary General
Amnesty International
1 Easton Street
London, United Kingdom
WC1X0DW, UK
This

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