PRESS RELEASE

At around noon, an executive officer from Kinyinya Sector, known as Shema, invited her to collect administrative papers in respect to the application for a police record. Upon arrival at Kinyinya premises, Mrs Ingabire was surrounded by a prepared lynch mob, beaten but managed to retreat to her vehicle. The assailant militia snatched her handbag and other personal belongings including her newly acquired ID and her passport. Mr. Joseph Ntawangundi, was savagely and thoroughly beaten by the vicious assailants without any intervention from the authority. He suffered ribs and legs injury and was stripped half naked. He was later rushed to King Fayçal Hospital in Kigali for emergency treatment and his condition is still worrying. Alerted by the driver, the police reached the scene later and despite his condition took Mr. Joseph Ntawangundi, for interrogations. He was released after one and half hour.

UDF INKINGI hold the government responsible of that incident, as it took place in a government building, without any intervention at all from the authority. This is a grotesque and horrific practice of terror towards an opposition candidate. This is just the latest in a growing list of blatant attacks and harassments that compromise public confidence in our security systems. The reign of terror being carried out by certain sectors of the administration, the police forces and militia lynching is unacceptable.
We mainly refer to other incidents that occurred on Wednesday 27th January 2010, at Nyagasambu (Kigali). Exercising our rights to freedom of movements in our country, our two vehicles were ordered by police officers to pull off. Drivers’ Licenses and vehicles registration papers were confiscated. The official charge was “careless driving”. Unable to substantiate the allegations on spot, the officers confirmed that they received orders from their hierarchy to stop our vehicles.

This is notwithstanding the numerous hate editorials of a section of public and hate media. UDF INKINGI warns that these coward acts of intimidation will not deter the party from its resolve to push ahead for more democratisation of the country. UDF INKINGI calls on the government to face its responsibilities and stop these acts which may jeopardise the whole electoral process.

UDF INKINGI

Office of the Chairperson,

Mrs. Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza.

Kigali-Rwanda

UDF-Inkingi: Protest letter denouncing administration backed lynching and harassments by sections of secret services, the police and the army

Inkingi
Forces Démocratiques Unifiées
United Democratic Forces
Tel: +250785836000

Kigali, 3rd February 2010.

Subject: protest letter denouncing administration backed lynching and harassments by sections of secret services, the police and the army.

Today at 11:25, responding to an invitation by the authorities of Kinyinya Sector (Gasabo District) to collect our administrative papers, Mrs. Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, the Chairperson of UDF-INKINGI narrowly survived a prepared lynch mob. Within the administration premises, my assistant, Joseph Nawangundi, was savagely dragged out of the car, beaten and stabbed. It is only after one hour that the police stopped the lynching.

I escaped the mob. The militia snatched my handbag containing my identity card, my passport, and other valuable belongings. Joseph Ntawangundi severely injured, his clothes torn apart was rushed to King Faycal Hospital for emergency treatment.

This is just the latest in a growing list of blatant attacks and harassments that compromise public confidence in our security systems. Militia lynching, the reign of terror being carried out by certain sectors of the administration, security services and the police forces are unacceptable.

It is with great regret that we must take issue with the on-going aggressive surveillance and tailing by Secret Services and Army officers coupled with police harassments and intimidation against the UDF-INKINGI leader, Mrs. Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza.

We mainly refer to these other incidents:

- Wednesday 27th January 2010, Nyagasambu ( Kigali ). Exercising our rights to freedom of movements in our country, our two vehicles were ordered by police officers to pull off. Drivers’ Licenses and vehicles registration papers were confiscated. The official charge was “careless driving” and a FRW 50,000 fine was levied. Unable to substantiate the allegations on spot, the officers confirmed that they received orders from their hierarchy to stop our vehicles.

- The same day, we have been tailed by an army vehicle with men in uniforms between Rwamagana and Kibungo and all the way back. The mobile surveillance continued with cars wearing civilian plates. The surveillance was extensively carried on in an intimidating fashion even while shopping vegetables in both Rwamagana and Kibungo public markets.

- Sunday 17th January 2010, 2 manned vehicles tailed us from Kigali to Gitarama and all the way back;
- Since 16th January 2010 to date, we have been submitted to a 24-hour intensive surveillance.

We call on all relevant authorities to investigate the militia lynching within Kinyinya Sector premises, harassments by sections of Secret services, the Police and the military. It is time the authorities take action and ensure we are allowed to carry out our work and to enjoy our rights to free movements without any harassment.

We don’t believe this brutality, terror, militia lynching and those harassments are, for some reason, beyond the control of the government.

Respectfully,

UDF-INKINGI

Mrs. Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza

Chairperson.