Several candidates have been disqualified from Rwanda’s upcoming presidential elections, which will be held on 15 July. This means Paul Kagame, who has been in power for 24 years, could be reappointed head of state — a dire outcome for press freedom given the censorship and targeting of journalists that has permeated his reign.
Three journalists have been murdered, two have disappeared, and over thirty media have been suspended since Paul Kagame came to power in 2000, according to RSF’s monitoring. The situation is so dire that the country’s remaining media professionals have either gone into exile or are forced to self-censor.
“Paul Kagame’s press freedom record is dramatic. This cycle of violence and pressure must end – now. The authorities must show a real desire for change by ensuring independent coverage of the campaign and uninterrupted internet access before, during and after the elections. RSF also calls for fundamental reforms no matter the results, so that journalists can work without fearing for their safety and the risk of being censored.”
Sadibou Marong, Director of RSF’s Sub-Saharan Africa Desk
Three journalists killed for their work
Three journalists have been killed since the start of Kagame’s presidency, including one in exile:
- In January 2023, John Williams Ntwali, editor-in-chief of The Chronicles, a news website known to criticize the government, died in suspicious circumstances. Official reports claim it was a motorbike accident, yet RSF and 85 other organisations have called for an independent inquiry – which has still not taken place.
- In June 2010, Jean-Léonard Rugambage, deputy editor of the independent satirical website Umuvugizi, was murdered outside his home in the capital, Kigali. Umuvugizi’s editor-in-chief told RSF that Rugambage’s murder could be linked to his investigations into the attempted assassination of General Kayumba Nyamwasa, who is exiled in South Africa. The official inquiry into his death ruled out political assassination, and did not make all of its findings public.
- In December 2011, Charles Ingabire, editor-in-chief of Inyenyeri News, a news site that criticized the Rwandan authorities, was shot dead outside a bar in Kampala, Uganda, where he had been living in asylum since 2007. Ingabire had fled Rwanda after incurring several threats following information he’d published in Umuco, a national daily, that reflected badly on the government. After his murder, the Ugandan police launched an investigation and detained two people for questioning. The outcome of the investigation into his murder was never made public.