Rwanda: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is opposed to the weekly visits of Ms. Victoire Ingabire
Rwanda: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is opposed to the weekly visits of Ms. Victoire Ingabire
Kigali, September 13, 2013.
On Friday, September 13, 2013, the members of FDU-Inkingi political party went as usual to theKigalimaximum security prison, commonly known as 1930, to visit their party Chairperson who is detained there by the RPF regime for political reasons. Upon their arrival, an officer of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) blocked their access to Ms. Victoire Ingabire without giving any reason. Surprisingly, according to the prison instructions, the visitors were all carrying their identity cards and were not exceeding the maximum number set forth by the prison authorities. When the visitors attempted to plead their case, an officer of the CID branch of the prison, by the name of James Baguma, ordered them to return home immediately without any further ado.
When the party leadership was informed about such an incident, it contacted the penitential authorities. They responded that if indeed the visitors were carrying their identity cards, there should have been no reason to prevent them from meeting with Ms. Victoire Ingabire. However, said authorities did not dare to upset the CID by allowing the visit to proceed.
Lately, such acts of harassment against opposition leaders, who are scattered in Rwandan prisons, have increased. This is also the case in Mpanga prison where Dr. Theoneste Niyitegeka, the unfortunate candidate in the 2003 presidential elections. It has been a while that he has been held in solitary confinement within said prison simply for having protested against the mistreatments that the prison guards inflicted him.
The party FDU-Inkingi once again reminds the Rwandan authorities that nothing beats the respect of human rights. A country cannot be governed on the basis of anyone's individual emotions. The authorities must respect the laws and regulations, which they enacted themselves, instead of unflinchingly letting RPF agents to make the law.
FDU-INKINGI
Boniface Twagirimana
Interim Vice President
Boniface Twagirimana
Interim Vice President
My wife Josee (who is Rwandan) and I began Project OSANI, an ongoing ministry in Rwanda, in 2005.
ReplyDeleteWe distributed thousands of Bibles. We trained many of the poorest people in construction skills to help them achieve housing and become self-sufficient. We assisted hundreds of marginalized “street children” (many of whom were orphans) with housing, food, school fees, school uniforms, and school supplies. We provided supplemental food for infants living in Rwanda’s prisons, upon request from the International Committee of the Red Cross. We distributed wash basins and other supplies to thousands of people living in Rwanda’s refugee camps, upon request from the UNHCR.
Our objective was to assist people to become independent, not dependent. At first, the Rwandan government permitted and encouraged our activities. Eventually, we were actively opposed, after we were approached by several Rwandan government officials, demanding that we give them money and also grant them supervisory authority in our programs.
During the past nine years - several of our former employees and associates have been harassed, detained, imprisoned, sometimes died - under very suspicious circumstances. I have personally come to accept being harassed, threatened and challenged by the Rwandan government in any of my ongoing ministry efforts. As an example, last year I received the following correspondence –
From: nadiasifa@hotmail.com
To: chuckculpepper@msn.com
Subject: Stop what you are doing
Date: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 16:46:18 -0700
Mr Chuck we need you to stop thinking you have any thing to do in our country, if you can't respect rules of our country
If you have any qwestion feel free to ask, best on what you have done
To which I replied –
Ms. Nadia -
According to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, it is and always will be my duty and a privilege to represent God's Love and care for widow's and orphans, feed hungry brothers and sisters, cloth the naked, visit the sick and prisoners of this world (including Rwanda).
When I obey God and do these things I demonstrate my Love for God and do them for Jesus, because I am a sheep and not a goat.
Actually I do always respect the rules of your country, so long as they do not oppose the teachings of the Bible. I can also advise that if you do not have a Bible you may ask and I can bless you with one at anytime.
I pray that God will bless you to know the truth,
Chuck
The U.S. State Department, United Nations, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other credible organizations have clearly documented significant violations of international law by the Rwandan government, including suppressing freedom of speech, journalism and political freedom.