Rwandan authorities have arrested Victoire Ingabire, a prominent figure in the opposition and president of the unrecognized party DALFA-Umurinzi (Development and Liberty for All). She is currently being held in a detention center in Kigali, the capital, announced the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) on Thursday, June 19th.
According to the RIB, she is accused of participating in the creation of a criminal organization and inciting public disorder. The investigation against her stems from a decision of the High Court in the ongoing trial of Sylvain Sibomana, former secretary general of the United Democratic Forces (FDU), and several of his colleagues. The Investigation Bureau specifies that this action aims to allow Ingabire to also be judged as part of this procedure, without indicating the date of her appearance before the court.
Her arrest comes the day after her presence at a trial in Kigali, where nine people are being prosecuted for circulating a book by Serbian writer Srdja Popovic, entitled “How to topple a dictator when you are alone, very small and unarmed.”
Returning from exile in the Netherlands in 2010 to run for president, Victoire Ingabire had sparked controversy by calling for the recognition of all victims of the Rwandan conflict, including the Hutu, and not just the victims of the Tutsi genocide, in the name of inclusive reconciliation. These statements led to her being sentenced to 15 years in prison. She was released in 2018 after being granted a presidential pardon after eight years of detention, but remains banned from participating in elections.
In March 2024, she suffered a legal setback, as the court rejected her request to lift this ban in preparation for the presidential election.
