Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Rwandan editor shot dead in Uganda

 

A Rwandan editor, Charles Ingabire, who was living in exile in Uganda, was shot dead in a bar in Kampala last Wednesday (30 November).

He edited the Inyenyeri News, an online publication which is noted for its critical reporting of the government of Rwanda led by President Paul Kagame.

According to the story on the Inyenyeri website, 32-year-old Ingabire had received several threats from a person linked to the Rwandan government agents.

After a recent attack, he required two weeks of hospital treatment to his injuries. He left Rwanda in 2007 because of political persecution, and other Rwandan exiles believe the shooting was linked to Ingabire's work.

At the funeral service on Saturday, mourners refused to give their names. An Rwandan pastor who led the service warned of "spies" in the crowd.

The Rwandan government has denied any involvement in the murder, and said that Ingabire was not a well-known critic.

The Rwandan Focus newspaper carried a piece saying Rwandan "journalists had no idea who Ingabire was."

A government spokesperson said that Ingabire had been convicted of embezzlement and escaped from prison in 2006.

However, several press freedom watchdogs have called for an investigation in the murder, including the International Press Institute (IPI) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

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