RPF death squads hit again

The bodies of the two rwandese refugees, namely Colonel LIZINDE THEONESTE and BUGILIMFURA AUGUSTIN, who had been kidnapped by RPF operatives from their flats in HIGH POINT COURT in Nairobi on Sunday 7^th October 1996, have been found. They were both shot in the head.

The late colonel LIZINDE was a senior RPF army officer until early this year, when he fled the country after numerous attempts on his live were foiled.

He settled first in Kinshasa -Zaïre before moving to Nairobi two months ago.

While in Zaïre, col LIZINDE wrote in May 1996 a 7 page document giving overwhelming evidence on RPF atrocities in the districts of BYUMBA, RUHENGERI GISENYI and GIKONGORO. This might have enraged RPF leaders and hence the plot to eliminate him. He had even quoted some express orders from KAGAME himself to kill some people.

Two months ago, he had joined RDR and had immediately embarked on compiling a comprehensive report on RPF atrocities since October 1990, that was to be presented to International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda(ICTR).

He was also writing a report on the assassination of the late Habyarimana that might have had far reaching consequences for RPF.

So he was a key witness against RPF.

As for the late Augustin BUGIRIMFURA, he was a prominent businessman and member of MDR party.

He owns a printing house (PRINTESET) in Kigali in a four storeyed building on the posh plateau area.

Soon after the RPF military take over, his printing firm together with the building were taken over by KAGAME'S family and the current Premier Celestin RWIGEMA, a former employee of that company, is alleged to have some stakes in the new venture.

So, he was most likely killed because not only he happened to be together with LIZINDE by the time the gang struck, but also to give to Kagame's family a free hold on his properties.

In our press release nº85 dated August 30, 1996 RDR had already warned that RPF death squads who entered Kenya from Uganda, were poised to hit, and had called upon the international community to refrain it in time. But this threat was taken lightly and the first victims have fallen.

After the failed attempts on the lives of BASABOSE whose house in Kigali has been grabbed by President BIZIMUNGU, KABUGA, whose warehouse in Gikondo has been converted into a prison while his other building in the city centre houses RPF headquarters, and SENDASHONGA Seth, former Interior minister who had just defected from RPF, this is the 4^th terrorist act of RPF in Kenya targeting refugees.

Similar acts were carried out in Rwandese refugee camps in Burundi and Zaire.

Is the international community especially the main backers of RPF, not compromising its credibility, by not condemning RPF terrorism? Does terrorism deserve condemnation when its comes from a particular political shade, RPF for this matter, or a particular region of the world?

While pleading with host countries of refugees to take precautionary measure to stop RPF terrorists, RDR warns that RPF international terrorism may target even non refugees so long as they pose a threat to its policy,if not checked in time. RPF expertise in international terrorism can be hired by any regime or group in the world and is thus not only a threat to refugees, but the international community as a whole. Hence terrorism should be unreservedly condemned whatever the author and the victim.