Her name is Idamange Iryamugwiza Yvonne (see picture). She is 42-years old, a mother of four, from the Rwanda Tutsi ethnic group, whose family members were massacred during the 1990-1994 Rwandan genocide and interethnic massacres. In recent public statements and videos that went viral on social media, she said that “Rwanda is a country of sheep without a shepherd”, pointing to widespread assassinations and disappearances of opposition leaders and government critics and abuses, corruption and other massacres by the Rwandan governent and military and the ailing Rwandan dictator General Paul Kagame, who has lately suddenly almost disappeared from the public. The Rwandan government dictatorship took notice. Ms Idamange Iryamugwiza Yvonne was arrested by Rwandan national police, known as RNB, in the evening of February 15, 2021.
A Brutal Arrest In Front of Terrorized Children and Following Widespread Destruction of Property by the Rwandan Police.
Ms Yvonne Idamange Iryamukwiza was charged with inciting public disorder, resisting lawful arrest, and aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer. Early in the day, before her arrest, Ms Idamange had published a video her YouTube saying that she was expecting an imminent arrest, given the increasing threats and intimidations from Rwandan government officials and police commanders over the last days.
The Rwandan national police broke into Ms Idamange Iryamugwiza Yvonne's property, breaking the gate and the doors and brutalizing her in front of her terrorized children.
Upon her arrest, the police sent out a statement alleging that Ms Yvonne Idamange Iryamukwiza “used a bottle to cause head injuries to the officer who was immediately taken to Kacyiru District Hospital for medical attention.” In the statement, the police also said thatMs Yvonne Idamange Iryamukwiza is accused of having “exhibited behaviour that mixes politics, criminality, and madness,” using media platforms.
What Did the Activist Yvonne Idamange Iryamugwiza Really Did, To Be Brutally Arrested.
In her videos, Ms Idamange Iryamugwiza Yvonne said that she is a Rwandan mother and parent of 4 children, lives in the Rwandan capital city of Kigali city, and has a Master's degree. She added that she is a Rwandan woman who loves her country and strives to make a contribution so that her fellow Rwandans are happy and proud of their country.
Based on the reactions in the social and other media, with her courageous stand against widespread assassinations of opposition leaders and government critics and abuses, corruption and other widespread by the Rwandan governent and the Rwandan dictator General Paul Kagame, she appeared to give voice to voiceless Rwandans.
The courageous statements and critics of the Rwandan government corrupt elite and dictator by Ms. Idamange Iryamugwiza Yvonne published on social and other media became viral and attracted an unprecedented audience; this action appeared to start a major movement aimed at making public the grave failures and the detrimental policies of the Rwanda government under Rwandan dictator General Paul Kagame.
Ms Yvonne Idamange Iryamukwiza gave concretes examples of widespread assassinations and disappearances of opposition leaders and government critics and abuses, corruption and other widespread massacres by the Rwandan governent and the Rwandan dictator General Paul Kagame. These examples include the assassination of Kizito Mihigo (Rwandan Music Star Kizito Mihigo Dies In a High Security Detention), the systematic tortures in safe houses and hidden cells, and the assassinations of many prominent officials, business people, military leaders, and ordinary people (see AfroAmerica Network here: Rwandan Government, Accused by the World Community of Appalling Human Rights Abuses, Agrees On Some Criticisms)
She outlined the following four areas in which the Rwandan government has completely failed, due to incompetence, repression, human rights abuses, corruption, and lack of patriotism:
- The right to live as a human being. Ms Idamange Iryamugwiza Yvonne said that the current Rwandan goverment has enacted the policies that deny the right to live for the majority of people, beyond the ruling elite around the ailing Rwandan dictator General Paul Kagame. She gave an example of the latest lockdown decision by the government, under the pretext of COVID-19, which in reality targeted the ordinary, poor people, who had no means of survival, while the members of the small minority ruling elite were not concerned. The lockdown decision was suddenly made without thinking about the consequences on the poor and ordinary people. Hence the common people have been dying from starvation while the members of the ruling elite were benefiting from the lockdown (see here: Rwandan General Paul Kagame Dismisses Appeal from a Tutsi Woman For Not Having Fled Rwanda Long Before 1994).
- Failed, Dead or Dying Education system in Rwanda. According to Ms Idamange, the education system in Rwandan is a complete failure and died long ago. The lack of qualified teachers, the inexistent support system, and the government officials only seeking monetary gains have accelerated the demise of the education system. The children of the ruling elite and corrupt leaders do not study in those failing schools. Instead they are sent to study abroad. A large number of school girls have been getting pregnant and there is no hope in getting a decent education in Rwanda, given that lack of care or concern from government officials. Boarding schools have become almost like prisons, with the ruling elite using them to make profit than to educate the children: children in boarding schools are like prisoners within school compounds. The ruling elite uses those prison-like schools to get foreigh aid and to enrich themselves.
- Lack of Freedom of speech and repression using genocide: The government has been persecuting, killing and making disappear ordinary people, just for their views or criticism of the government's policy failures. The government officials and the ruling elite also use the Rwandan genocide as a game card and a business opportunity: bones of survivors' relatives are displayed to just make money for the elite; monuments are build to attract foreign tourists and foreign currencies; and relatives of the dead and survivals are ignored. Rwandan genocide is used to fuel the flow of foreign aid and money, not to care for the dead or the survivors.
- Lack of direction by the current government: According to Ms. Yvonne Idamange, the major question on every responsible Rwandan's mind is the following: "Whether Rwandans are not like sheep without a shepherd." In fact, despite the pandemic and all the problems Rwandans have been facing, the Rwandan dictator General Paul Kagame has been missing. Ms Yvonne Idamage said that she has never seen His excellency the president of the Republic appear in public, address the Rwandan people and taking a microphone and tell the Rwandans: “ My fellow Rwandans, we are facing the pandemic. However, be strong, do not be afraid, don’t be discouraged. We have devised sound strategies to fight against it. Meanwhile, we urge you to stay home. But I will make sure that you will be fed. We will make sure that no Rwandan will die from hunger, no Rwandan will lack needed medicine. Calm down, be strong. I am with you and as your leader, I am in front of you." Instead, the Rwandan dictator, General Paul Kagame has disappeared. Same for his wife, Janet Kagame.
Ms Yvonne Idamange has been ending her videos by calling on the top military leaders to assume responsibilities given the top secrets they are aware of, on the crumbling regime led by the ruling elite and the Rwandan dictator General Paul Kagame. One of such leaders is General James Kabarebe, the top Security Advisor to General Paul Kagame. General James Kabarebe has often been suspected of being in competition with other top members of the ruling elite and planning a coup (see AfroAmerica Network:Rwanda: As Rwandan Dictator Paul Kagame's Health Deteriorates, Rwandan Government Allegedly Uses COVID-19 to Impose a Lockdown Aimed at Keeping Top Military Leaders Suspected of Planning a Coup Under Close Watch ).
She then invited Rwandans to stop living as " sheep without a shepherd or as people without leaders." She has also invited Rwandans to move beyong ethnic politics, adding that Rwanda does not need to be led by someone, who puts the ethnic background above anything else, or who feels that there is a need to stand by their ethnic group or is the best in their ethnic group.
Afromerica Network is closely following the story.
@2021 AfroAmerica Network
