The killing of a genocide survivor in Kigali has sparked public outrage and sent waves of fear among other survivors.

Christine Iribagiza, 58, was killed on April 13 by morning by unknown people who entered her home in Niboye suburb, Kicukiro district, stabbed the watchman several times, broke into the house and tied her up with ropes then strangled her.

The murder happened on the last day of the Genocide Commemoration Week.

Many Rwandans took to social media to condemn the crime.

Rwanda National Police (RNP) confirmed that it had started investigations into the murder of the businesswoman, who is survived by one daughter.

Most of her other family members were killed in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994.

“RNP can confirm that a 58-year old female, a genocide survivor, was murdered in her home by unknown people and we are currently investigating the case. We don’t have the motive and the people behind it yet,” said spokesperson ACP Theos Badege.

Reports indicate that after the genocide, Ms Iribagiza left the country and settled in Bolivia and Belgium; she returned to Rwanda a few years ago to run a business.
The manner in which she was killed left many puzzled.

A local leader told The EastAfrican that her body was found in the room with candles lit around it.

The stabbed guard, whom the assailants assumed was dead, was heard groaning in pain by passers-by, who alerted the police.

The national commission for the fight against the genocide (CNLG) condemned the attack.

“We suspect that this is another case of genocide ideology targeting genocide survivors. We have had such cases in the past where genocide survivors are targeted, attacked or threatened. This particular case should be investigated,” said Jean Damascene Bizimana, the executive secretary of CNLG.

Dr Bizimana said that during the commemoration week, which started on April 7, a number of genocide ideology cases, mainly threats to survivors and acts of hate speech, were recorded and are being investigated by the police.

Local media reported cases of people who refused to be part of commemoration activities, people who made hurtful remarks to genocide survivors, and others who questioned why Hutus who were killed are not commemorated.

Rwandan laws punish the propagating of the genocide ideology, ethnic divisionism and genocide denial.

However, CNLG says the law has loopholes because it punishes those thought to believe, harbour an aggregate of thoughts of, or spread genocide ideology, while what one says or speaks is not punished.
CNLG says most acts of dehumanising, marginalising, “defaming, mocking, boasting, despising, [or] degrading” on the basis of “ethnic group” sometimes go unpunished.