The Australian Human Rights Institute has called for greater scrutiny of Rwanda’s human rights record by international leaders ahead of its hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2022 in the Rwandan capital of Kigali this week.
Over the past year, the Institute has been campaigning to draw attention to the issue of enforced and involuntary disappearances in Rwanda. In 2021, it worked alongside human rights barrister Jennifer Robinson of Doughty Street Chambers, London and Australia’s leading independent law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth to assist human rights advocate Noël Yandamutso Zihabamwe with filing a UN complaint regarding such a case.
Mr Zihabamwe addressed a session of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in February 2022 to provide an update on the abduction of his brothers in Rwanda in 2019. There have also been a string of high profile disappearances and abductions in Rwanda over the past year, including that of Rwandan poet Innocent Bahati and Hotel Rwanda hero Paul Rusesabagina.
“Since my complaint was submitted to the UN Working Group, more than 200 families have contacted me in relation to their own family and friends who have been harassed or have disappeared in Rwanda,” Mr Zihabamwe said.
“The vast majority of these disappearances in Rwanda are never brought to international attention and Rwandan families continue to suffer in silence.”
Director of the Australian Human Rights Institute, Professor Justine Nolan, said these disappearances are a systematic issue in Rwanda.
“Commonwealth leaders, including Australia’s new government, should use CHOGM to call for greater accountability from the Rwandan government over these disappearances,” Professor Nolan said.
“Rwandans at home and abroad should not fear that their families will be harmed if they criticise the Rwandan government, and Commonwealth heads of government should demand Commonwealth values, including the promotion of democracy and human rights, be upheld.”
Since the initial UN complaint filing, Mr Zihabamwe and his missing brothers’ friends and relatives in Rwanda have experienced intimidation by Rwandan government officials. There has also been a smear campaign by Rwandan media organisations against Mr Zihabamwe.
A summary of the initial UN complaint against Rwanda can be found on the Australian Human Rights Institute website here.
MEDIA:
Drew Sheldrick
Australian Human Rights Institute
e: d.sheldrick@unsw.edu.au