Rwandan ex-soldier, government critic beheaded in Uganda
https://observer.ug/news/rwandan-ex-soldier-government-critic-beheaded-in-uganda/
Robert Kabera, 50, popularly known as Sergeant Robert, was a former instructor and soloist with the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Army Jazz Band. His headless body was discovered on Saturday, October 17, at a eucalyptus plantation in Luwala village, Kamengo sub-county, where he was building a house.
Family members told investigators that Kabera arrived from Kampala at about 7 pm on October 16, accompanied by his regular boda boda rider, identified as Innocent. He later went to a bar in Luwala trading centre.
His brother, Victor Agaba, reportedly told investigators that he became concerned when Kabera failed to return or appear the following morning. Agaba searched for him at home and at the bar, where an attendant said Kabera had last been seen the previous night.
At about 2 pm, the village defence secretary informed Agaba that an unidentified headless body had been found. Agaba reportedly identified it through a scar on the right thumb and shoes recovered near the scene.
Police officers who visited the site found the body lying in a pool of blood. Police in Kamengo, assisted by detectives from Kampala, reportedly recovered a large stick suspected to have been used in the attack, two beer bottles and shoes.
Kabera fled Rwanda for Uganda in November 2020 with his wife, saying he feared for his safety while living in Rwanda as a registered refugee.
On September 11, 2021, he wrote to local authorities seeking protection, arguing that accusations circulating against him in Rwandan media were politically motivated and that he feared for his life. Local leaders subsequently forwarded his appeal to police and refugee protection agencies.
On October 23, 2023, the chairperson of Sserwanga village LC1 in Mengo Parish, Kampala Central Division, wrote to Old Kampala Police Station introducing Kabera as a resident and reporting that he had been attacked by three men on Rubaga Road.
The letter, stamped as received by KCCA Central Division on the same date, said the assailants fled in a black car without number plates after Kabera shouted for help.
“Even if you run to America, we will find you and kill you,” the men reportedly told him.
Kabera’s departure from Rwanda followed allegations by the RDF’s Military Prosecution Department that he had sexually assaulted a teenage family member in Ndera, Gasabo district. He denied the allegations, describing them as politically motivated.
In May 2022, Ugandan security forces arrested Kabera at his residence and detained him at the Special Investigations Division in Kireka over alleged unlawful possession of a firearm. He was later released on police bond.
While living in Uganda, Kabera also used social media to criticise the Rwandan government. Uganda Police had not issued an official statement detailing the circumstances of his death by the time of publication.
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Exiled critic of Rwandan president found beheaded
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3lylj78777do
A former Rwandan army sergeant major, who became an outspoken critic of President Paul Kagame, has een found beheaded in neighbouring Uganda.
Robert Kabera, 50, fled Rwanda after being accused of sexual assault, which he denied. He sought asylum in neighbouring Uganda, citing political persecution.
Ugandan police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke on Monday said that Kabera's head had still not been recovered. His body was discovered by local residents on the outskirts of Kampala over the weekend.
The Rwandan government has not publicly commented on the killing. Several critics of Kagame have been killed, both in Rwanda and abroad.
His widow, Jeanne d'Arc Rwigema Uwizeye, told BBC Great Lakes in a written message that she now feared for her family's safety.
"It is scary. I feel crazy, the children and I don't have security," she said.
According to his family, Kabera had travelled to inspect a construction site about 45 km (30 miles) o
Reacting to news of his murder, exiled opposition group Rwanda National Congress (RNC) called for a thorough investigation and for those responsible to be brought to justice.
In a statement on X, the RNC said: "Today, his family is grieving, his voice is gone, and Rwandans in exile are confronting a terrifying question: where can we be safe?"
His death adds to concerns about the safety of Rwandan dissidents living in exile.
In 2014, Patrick Karegeya, a former Rwandan intelligence chief who helped set up the RNC, was found dead in his hotel room in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Karegeya fell out with President Paul Kagame and was arrested twice, serving an 18-month prison sentence for insubordination and desertion before fleeing to South Africa in 2007, where he became a vocal critic of the government.
Following his death, Kagame made remarks widely seen as a warning to other critics.
"Any person alive who may be plotting against Rwanda, whoever they are, will pay the price. Whoever it is, it is a matter of time," he said.
In 2019, South African authorities issued arrest warrants for two Rwandans accused of murdering Karegeya.
Kabera built a public profile as a musician and YouTuber, attracting more than 144,000 subscribers to his channel, which featured over 800 videos, many criticising Kagame and his administration.
