Forums/testimonies
Dear friends and Family
It has been twenty-five long years that our brother, husband, father, friend Assiel Kabera has been killed in cold blood by the killing squad of the current president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. It has been twenty-one long years that, the family has been asking the government of Rwanda to investigate this assassination to no avail.
Since Assiel Kabera’s assassination on March 5, 2000, there have been a series of similar killings of high profile politicians and businesses people, and it has become a norm of governing in this country of one thousand hills. There is a deliberate policy of eliminating any person who is perceived by RPF leadership to have a different opinion: kill and silence the surviving family members- no question to ask.
A recent example of assassination and silencing the surviving family members is the case of Assinapol Rwigara. After the assassination of this prominent businessman, his surviving wife-Adeline and daughter-Diane were put in jail, just for the sake of refusing to be silenced and asking for justice.
The cry for justice is heard everywhere but the Justice System in Rwanda is at the service of the strong man and his acolytes. There is no accountability for these extra-judiciary executions. The regime of Kigali has always an explanation for those killings but constantly fail to bring the culprits to justice.
In the case of Assiel Kabera’s assassination, the regime floated the story of family revenge from Kagaju family and promised to investigate, but twenty-one years after, nothing has occurred. This proves that the story was just a distraction, the regime had committed the crime.
At this time we celebrate Assiel Kabera’s life, let’s remember who he was, what he stood and fought for.
Assiel Kabera survived the genocide of 1994. He left his wife and children in the USA and accepted a position with the new government led by the current president of Rwanda- Paul Kagame. It was not an easy decision, but Mr. Kabera did it for the love he had for the country. He accepted to work as a governor of Kibuye from 1994- 1998 at the time when the area was the center of military insurgency since then defeated the regime.
Assiel Kabera’s life was daily threatened by this insurgency but he accepted the challenge and risk to his life. From 1998 to March 5, 2000- the day of his assassination, he was serving as a senior economic and social advisor to the former President Pasteur Bizimungu.
He was the proponent of freedom of speech and human rights activists. As survival himself, Assiell Kabera cared deeply for the survivors of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi and he did whatever he could to help them
Most importantly, Assiel Kabera defended the weak and the poor and was guided by the truth. He was a good Christian who feared God. Indeed, he was a great man.
He shall be missed!
Who was Assiel Kabera?
He was a man of honor, dignity, honesty, and an exemplary behavior. He was a man of God and a man of the people. He was not a politician but joined the government as a patriotic duty to help rebuild the country. Educated in the love, honesty, bravery and the integrity, he chose to make his life, a life for all. He defended the truth at all costs, and this was his motto. He believed that only the truth could set you free. He liked to quote this Rwandan proverb: “Inyoni ishobora ku kwitumaho iguruka mu kirere, ariko ntukemera ko ikwarikaho” which means that the defense of our dignity does not have a price. Kabera has been always the victim of the social injustice that has characterized the political life of his country, from his childhood to his death, but he always expressed bravery out of the common and a remarkable integrity. He was not happy with the direction that was taking i.e extra-judiciary executions, suppression of the free press, the militarization of the country. he was very critical of the government for its poor human record.
Many believed that he was killed by the members of the Rwandan government who wanted to silence him.
Testimonies:
- Human rights Report -2000- on Assassination of Assiel Kabera
- Doc1: article on the death of Assiel Kabera by umuseso news paper -2007
- Jason Muhayimana’s testimony on the assassianation of Assiel Kabera
- Gihamya ko ari Perezida Kagame watanze amabwiriza yo kwica Assiel Kabera by Umuseso news paper 2010
- Gihamya-ko-ari-Perezida-Kagame-watanze-amabwiriza-yo-kwica-Assiel-Kabera-by-Umuseso-news-paper-2010 and-commented by Umuhuza news paper (2)
- Jean Pierre Mugabe’s testimony in his book : U.S, Made on pages 77-78: DOC062417
- I remember[19]
- I did not die