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October 06 - 12, 2014

Media Monitoring Report for Rwanda
Posted on October 12, 2014
1. 40 bodies found in Lake Rweru, says a human rights organization’s report
Private independent newspapers

Rwanda Focus, 7th October 2014
“‘Civil society calls for independent investigation into Rweru corpses” by Theophile Harushyamagara

  • The Rwanda civil society has called for an independent investigation to elucidate the origin of corpses that were found on Lake Rweru between July and September, with Burundi and Rwanda refuting the victims are their citizens.
  • Cladho, a local human rights organization, set up a team and visited the place between October 2 and 3 and found nearly 40 bodies.
  • Jean Leonard Sekanyange, chairman of Cladho, who led the team said that people from the Rwandan side told they did not see any corpses. Burundian fishermen told they saw only four corpses.
  • Sekanyange said that local population told them that the Akagera river, from where some reports allege the bodies floated into the lake, only joins Lake Rweru in the wet season, which means that it was impossible that in July, which is dry season, the river could have been the provenance of the bodies.
  • The origin of the corpses remains unclear.
2. Former army officers lost appeal against their detention
Private independent newspapers

Rwanda Focus, 9th October 2014
„Rusagara, Byabagamba and Kabayiza lose high court appeal“ by Theophile Harushyamagara

  • Col. Tom Byabagamba, Brig. Gen. (Rtd.) Frank Rusagara and Sgt. François Kabayiza (demobilized) lost their appeal at the military high court against their provisional 30-day detention decided by the military tribunal in Nyamirambo.
  • The tribunal ruled that the trio should remain at prison for at least 30 days pending further investigations. As the main reason was cited the gravity of the charges against the suspects.
  • The accused argued they had already been detained for 30 days, sufficient time for the prosecution to gather evidence.
3. UK government agrees on military action against FDLR
Private but pro-government newspapers

New Times, 9th October 2014
„FDLR stands for genocide and must disarm now – UK“ by James Munyaneza

  • The UK government has described the FDLR as “an armed group espousing genocide and should be treated as such.”
  • In a statement sent to The New Times, the UK urges regional countries as well as the MONUSCO to set the timeframe for FDLR’s disarmament – voluntarily or otherwise.
  • The UK has now outlined three steps that must be taken to end FDLR threat to peace and security in the region:
  1.  „Firstly, if the FDLR’s stated desire to disarm is to mean anything, they must immediately stop blocking the disarmament process on the ground.
  2. Secondly, we must ensure the SADC and ICGLR deadlines are met.
  3. Thirdly, military action must indeed be the inevitable consequence if FDLR do not disarm voluntarily by the SADC deadline. The UN Security Council, on which both Rwanda and the UK sit, has given a clear and unequivocal mandate to Monusco to take action against armed groups.“
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