Rwandan opposition party claims political slaying. Staff Reporter.
3/1/2002.
An opposition party in Rwanda, The Democratic Party for Renewal-UBUYANJA, says
one of its senior members has become the victim of a political slaying.
KIGALI: The party said two assailants killed Gratien Munyarubuga in broad day light in
the capital of Kigali. The Democratic Party for Renewal-UBUYANJA was launched in
June last year by former President Pasteur Bizimungu. However, it was immediately
banned by the authorities. Munyarubuga was among five signatories of an open letter to
President Paul Kagame asking him to repeal the ban.
(ChannelAfrica.org)
©Copyright 2001. All rights reserved. AfricaOnline.com Ltd.
Rwandan govt urged to investigate politician's slaying.
Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - A New York-based watchdog against humanrights violation
has urged Rwandan authorities to investigate the26 December 2001 murder of Gratien
Munyarubuga, a founder of theopposition Democratic Party for Renewal-Ubuyanja.In a
news release reaching PANA in Dakar Wednesday, Human RightsWatch (HRW) also
called on the government in Kigali to "endharassment of other opposition and press
figures".It said that since Munyarubuga's killing, Rwandan authoritieshave detained and
interrogated the former Rwandan PresidentPasteur Bizimungu, the leading figure of the
Ubuyanja party.
HRW said that another member of Ubuyanja, three personsassociated
with a faction of the Democratic Republican Movement(MDR) thought to be opposed to
the current government and ajournalist who reported on these developments had also
beendetained."The police should put their energies into prosecutingMunyarubuga's
killers rather than into intimidating people whoseideas they don't like," said Alison Des
Forges, Senior Adviser tothe Africa Division of Human Rights Watch.
Two men who had entered his taxi as passengers shot Munyarubuga,a a 66-year-old taxi
driver. Uniformed members of the LocalDefence Force, an official police agency,
reportedly stood by andfailed to apprehend the killers.He was killed in the early
afternoon in a wealthy neighbourhoodof Kigali. Munyarubuga had reportedly been
threatened with deathby police on 10 December 2001 when he visited Bizimungu
severaltimes at his home in the Rwandan capital.In June 2001, Rwandan authorities
refused to allow Bizimungu toofficially establish a new political party. Five months
later,they prevented him from publishing a brief memoir.Bizimungu, who resigned his
post last year and his associates,were attacked by street gangs several months ago and
were again threatened recently.
Dakar - 09/01/2002
Copyright © 2001 Panafrican News Agency. All Rights Reserved.
