Pressmediaofindia
Related Articles
25-06-2024
KIGALI: One person has died and dozens were injured during a crush at an election rally for Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, officials say.
Campaigning for July’s general election began on Saturday, with Kagame holding two rallies in northern Rwanda over the weekend.
The crush happened on Sunday in Rubavu district, where 37 people were injured, four of whom were hospitalized with serious injuries, a statement from the ministry of local government said.
It apologized to the deceased’s family, adding that a medical team on site “did everything possible”.
Kagame is running for a fourth term. He has been the country’s de facto leader since 1994, when his then rebel group, the Rwanda Patriotic Front, seized power at the end of the genocide directed at members of his Tutsi ethnic group.
He won the last presidential election in 2017 with nearly 99% of the vote.
The 66-year-old president has faced criticism from rights groups for cracking down on the opposition but he has fiercely defended Rwanda’s record on human rights, saying his country respects political freedoms.
After Sunday’s stampede, the ministry of local government reminded “those participating in campaign activities… to follow the instructions given by those in charge to ensure the safety and tranquility of those participating in campaign activities”.
On Monday morning, Kagame’s RPF-Inkotanyi party said it was “deeply saddened” and sent its condolences to the deceased’s family.
“The RPF-Inkotanyi organization will continue to… closely monitor those injured in the conflict,” it said in a statement published on social media.
Earlier, the party posted a video on Facebook of Kagame taking the stage at the rally. Crowds of supporters, decked out in party colors, can be seen dancing, cheering, and waving flags. Some 250,000 people were in attendance, the party said.
Kagame will face two other politicians, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party and independent Philippe Mpayimana in the race to become president.
Diane Rwigara, an outspoken critic of Kagame, was barred from standing in next month’s presidential election.
The electoral commission said Rwigara had failed to provide the correct documentation to show she had no criminal record and had not shown she had enough support nationwide to stand.
Rwigara, who was also disqualified from the 2017 poll, dismissed these reasons, saying she had been “cheated” out of her “right to campaign”.
Rwandans will head to the polls on 15 July to elect their next president and lawmakers.
Earlier, Diane Rwigara, an outspoken critic of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, has been barred from standing in next month’s presidential election.
Only Kagame and two other politicians, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party and independent Philippe Mpayimana were cleared by the electoral body.
Rwigara, who was also disqualified from the 2017 poll, took to X, to express her disappointment to Kagame.
“Why won’t you let me run? This is the second time you (have) cheat(ed) me out of my right to campaign,” she said.
The 42-year-old, who is the leader of the People Salvation Movement (PSM), had earlier told media that she had hoped to be able to stand this time round.
“I’m representing the vast majority of Rwandans who live in fear and are not allowed to be free in their own country,” she said. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
