Impunity Regarding Mr. Assiel Kabera Assassination by RPF

Dr. Josue Kayijaho,

3225 St Patrick St                                                     Windsor, February 24, 2011

Windsor, Ontario

 N9E 3H2, Canada

Email: kayija@hotmail.com

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To H.E. President Paul Kagame,

Republic of Rwanda

Re: Updates related to Mr. Assiel Kabera’s assassination.

Mr. President,

We, the family of the sorely missed Mr. Kabera Assiel, adviser to the former President Pasteur Bizimungu, are once again, re-writing to you to express our profound frustration by the lack of investigations of the cause of his cold blood assassination, in front of his residence entrance gate, on the night of on March 5, 2000 in Kigali, RWANDA.

At the same time, we call upon you, to fulfill your promises to the Mr. Kabera’s family as stated in a letter of condolence from your office, in which you expressly promised to use all means at your disposal to bring the culprits to justice.

Needless to recall that on February 24, 2005, we wrote you a letter, in which we gave you a long list of people who, allegedly participated in the ignominious assassination of our beloved father, husband and brother. In this letter, we were asking you to order an in-depth investigation of these individuals, in order to reveal the truth on this careful, calculated and planned cold blood assassination.

The following year, On February 24, 2006, we wrote a second letter to you to express our frustration by the lack of investigations in the death of Mr.Kabera and asked you to fulfill your promises to Kabera’s family. 

As of today, we are still waiting and asking ourselves why this cold blood assassination of a public figure is becoming a “secret d’état”.

Mr. President, the national and international media and the human rights associations have gone on the record saying that the assassination of Assiel Kabera was politically motivated.

Mr. President, you may recall a meeting at your Kacyiru office, in the presence with Aloysie Inyumba, former Executive Secretary of the Commission of Unity and National Reconciliation and the two younger brothers of late Assiel Kabera, namely Dr. Kayijaho Josue and Mr. Niyibizi Hosea.  You stated: “Mr. Assiel Kabera’s assassination was the work of a “mafia” network composed of elements within the national army and some civilians linked by mutual interests not yet identified”. And you continued saying,” I will never let the country be run by such a mafia “.

Mr. President, why don’t you order a throughout investigation on this cold blood assassination of Mr. Kabera to prove otherwise?

Our own research has led us to identify certain individuals who might have commissioned, planned, and/or carried out the assassination.  The names of those culprits have been provided to you in our February 24, 2005 letter as mentioned above.

 Mr. President, it has been seven long years after Mr. Kabera assassination and two years after you received the names of culprits.  Yet, we are still in dark of any actions taken by your government to investigate and bring these individuals to the Court of justice.

As we all know, justice delayed is justice denied. No one should be above of the rule of law regardless of the position occupied in the military or in the administration. The impunity which has characterized our country should be banished forever and the eradication of this impunity should not remain in good speeches made by leaders but rather should be translated into action.

It is more than time, Mr. President, to urge your government to direct its services to a throughout investigation of all persons who have allegedly been involved in Mr. Kabera assassination and let his family know of any progress in this endeavor. 

Mr. President, we will continue to call upon you to fulfill your promises to Mr. Kabera’s family, as stated in the enclosed copy of the letter you sent to us on March 7, 2000. We believe that, eventually, justice will prevail.

While we await an answer, please accept our highest regards.

Sincerely,

For Assiel Kabera’s family,

Dr. Josue Kayijaho

CC:

H.E. The U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda, B.P 28 Kigali

H.E. The U.K. Ambassador to Rwanda, B. P 573 Kigali

H.E. The France Ambassador to Rwanda, B.P 53 Kigali

H.E The Suisse Ambassador to Rwanda, B. P 579 Kigali

H.E. The Germany Ambassador to Rwanda, B.P 355 Kigali

H.E. The Belgium Ambassador to Rwanda, B. P 81 Kigali

H.E. The Holland Ambassador to Rwanda, B.P 254 Kigali

The Representative of Amnesty International, 1Easton Street London WC 1X ODW

The Representative of Human Rights Watch, 350 Fifth Avenue, 34 floor, New York, NY 10118-3299.

The National and International media.

Attachment:

1. Condolence’s letter to Assiel Kabera’s family from the office of then “vice president” of the Republic of Rwanda dated March 7, 2000.
2. Letter to the President dated on February 24, 2005.