Two decades of attacks on the opposition, journalists and rights groups in Rwanda have created a “climate of fear” ahead of the presidential election next month, Amnesty International warned Friday.
“Since the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) took power 23 years ago, Rwandans have faced huge, and often deadly obstacles to participating in public life and voicing criticism of government policy,” said Muthoni Wanyeki, Amnesty’s regional director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes.
“The climate in which the upcoming elections take place is the culmination of years of repression.”
The rights group released a 30-page report detailing several alleged violations including killing a member of the opposition party as well as harassment and intimidation of those planning to run in next month ‘s vote.
Critics of President Paul Kagame ‘s government were “jailed, physically attacked — even killed — and forced into exile or silence,” the London-based Amnesty said.
Rwanda has been praised for its stability and economic performance since the end of the 1994 genocide, in which about 800,000 people mostly Tutsis died. However, due to a lack of political freedom, this often comes under fire.
Rwanda is a multiparty structure constitutionally but there is virtually no opposition within the government.
All recognized parties generally support the RPF’s policy decisions — except for the small Democratic Green Party, which was the only one to object to changes to the 2015 constitution allowing Kagame to seek re-election.
Only four candidates had announced their intention to run in the August 4 polls against Kagame as of last month.
On Friday the election committee of Kigali is due to release a final list of candidates.
Since taking power at the head of a rebel army in 1994, Kagame has been in charge and has served as President for two seven-year terms.
“Rwanda’s history of political repression, attacks on opposition figures and dissenting voices in the context of previous elections stifles political debate and makes those who might speak out think twice before taking the risk,” said Wanyeki.
“Killings and disappearances in 2017 need to be placed in the context of many years of similar violence for which no one has yet been held to account.”