RWANDA:When suicide becomes only way out of Kagame’s dictatorship

By Nelson Gatsimbanzi , Sweden
As he continues to receive awards of recognition fordevelopment and good governance, those inside the country continue to decry Kagame’s dictatorship to the extent of opting for death.
With the government  claiming to be working towards a sound media industry, there are still some important issues that are intentionally left out of public attention.

Dictator Kagame

Such issues include one deciding to take away his life that standing continued abuse by Kagame’s “Interahamwe”. One of such unfortunate incidences happened on May 8, 2012 when a young man Mutabazi Sadiki 18, from Gakeri village of ,  Kavumu cell, Ruhango sector in Rutsiro district set himself ablaze after beatings and confiscation of his merchandise and money by members of the reserve forces with the help of the local defense unit
The local defense unit now acts as a paramilitary force working to reign enforce Kagame’s dictatorship as it comes from top to village level .
 Mutabazi who grew up as an orphan had been living in Rubavu district where he survived as  a vendor dealing in groundnuts and other petty merchandise in a box. It during one of hawking routine that these security operative arrested him, confiscated his merchandise and the little money he was trying to save for his dream of owning a driving permit as the only way out poverty.
when he (Mutabazi) realised his dream had been shattered he decided to get petrol and set himself alight he was rushed to Rubavu hospital from where he was transferred to Kigali university hospital. On realising that the information had leaked to the public, the government stepped in banned any media coverage about the issue. He is said to have burned up to 95% and is kept under intensive care.
With mockery, the mayor of Rubavu district, Bahame Hassan, told journalists that Mutabazi had burned himself after an overdose of marijuana but Mutabazi’s mother Zura Nsekambabaye  refuted the mayor’s allegations saying her son had set himself on fire saying was fed up continued confiscation of his merchandise and paying bribe to the security operatives.
Mutabazi is not the first to choose death due to Kagame’s dictatorship, on January 31 last year a second year university student Eugene Uwambajimana 20 committed suicide after he discovered that his name had been scrapped off the list government sponsored students at Kigali Institute of Education.

On October 13, 2011, Serugendo Justin another third year university student at the school of finance and Banking also had opted for death when he climbed a tall tree and tried to let himself fall only to be rescued before time, he had been indefinitely suspended from the school.