Mayor visits protesters camping at German Embassy

The Mayor of Kigali City, Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira Monday visited women who camped outside the gates of the German Embassy in Kigali since Saturday. They are protesting against the arrest of Rose Kabuye. At least thirty women are spending days and nights at the embassy protesting against the arrest which keeps Kabuye away from her family. Kacyira praised them for showing the world that Rwandans are united and explained that what was happening to Kabuye was a problem for all Rwandans. “I found them sorrowful but chatting to each other. It is a sign of unity and showing Kabuye that she is not alone,” the Mayor told The New Times shortly after visiting the protesters in their tent. The camping women include those representing others in different areas of the country and former women soldiers. They demanded for Kabuye’s immediate release, calling her both an innocent mother and a liberator who does not deserve to be mistreated over ‘false allegations’. “We are not happy because Rose Kabuye, a mother like us, is in prison. She left her children and her home….we can not abandon her when she is suffering,” said Jacqueline Tuyisenge, a representative of fellow women in Gatare Cell, Kigali City. The women share portable toilets they have installed near their tent.“We have left our belongings and our homes. Just look at the toilet we are using. It’s as if we are back in refugee camps,” said one of them as she shared their experience at the camping area. But they are ready to confront the situation even after leaving their children and husbands at their homes. “We will stay here until Rose Kabuye is released,” Tuyisenge vowed.The Mayor told them that what they are going through is a necessary evil, explaining that what happened to Kabuye is a national concern. “What they are going through reflects the anguish of many Rwandans,” she said. Kabuye was arrested in Germany eleven days ago over a contentious report of a French Judge, Jean-Louis Bruguière, accusing her of playing a role in the downing of a plane carrying former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana. Several demonstrations have been taking place across the country following this arrest. Ends

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Mayor visits protesters camping at German Embassy