A debate on the missing people

Yesterday in the studios of Radio isango star, a debate took place to discuss the causes and the impacts caused the recent cases highlighted by the Human Right Watch  in  its report  concerning 14 missing people. The report says none knows where  those 14 Rwandans are  currently.

This report of the HRW has been refited by  the RNP in its recent Press release.

The debate was attended by journalists Albert Baudouin Twizerimana, Joseph Hakuzwumuremyi and Gonzagua Umuganwa.

The Minister of justice who was invited to represent the government in the debate did not manage to attend for highly important task.

The debate moderators namely Fred Muvunyi and Ayanone Solange said that the HRW estimated that 14 people gone missing.

The Rwanda National Police refuted the estimations, saying that it holds 35  people suspected to be involved in recent actions aimed at destabilizing national security.

For Joseph Hakuzwumuremyi founded that both Human Right Watch and RNP affirm that there are people miss, as both agree on the place from where the alleged missing people were arrested, in Northern province.

Asked about which side is likely reporting on the missing of people more accurately, Albert Baudouin responded that more research and analysis has to be done by journalists before affirming each side is right or wrong.

For Joseph, the fact that some of the arrested people are not shown by the Police to the general public might have a reason.

He said that if someone is arrested for the national security issues, it becomes likely difficult for the security entities to reveal him/her before further investigations are not fully conducted.

The remaining concern is that even after the investigation is conducted, no results are published to the concerned people, especially the family members of the arrested, one of the invited discussants underlined.

Gonzagua Muganwa wondered whether the legal procedures were applied in arresting the suspects and in jailing them.

For him, arresting suspects is not but in itself but the legal procedures must be followed and inform the family.

Albert Baudouin affirmed that a new law defining how suspects are meant to be treated during the troubled time facing the national security.

For him, this will be of great importance for family members of the suspects who have been arrested.

Concerning the role played by the Rwandan media in reporting on these issues, journalists said that Rwandan media did not report on it as adequately as it might have been.

The challenges were that authorities in charge of providing news to local journalists but instead they talk to foreign media houses.

Another challenge Rwandan journalist faced in reporting these issues relates to the fact that family members do not provide details on how, who arrested their relatives and where they think their loved ones are jailed.

One of the journalists said that in reporting, there are some cases that interest journalists more than others.

We reported about the missing figures who are  renowned people such as Kizito Mihigo and his co-accused.

The task of journalists is not monitoring every missing case, Albert Baudouin said.

At the international scene, the participants discussed about the recent  decision taken by Malawian President Joyce Mbanda who wanted to annul the presidential election results but both the Parliament and high court denied to back her decision.

She has been unable to reset the  fragile economic situation in the country, one the journalists said.  Listeners underlined the fact local media do not have enough both technical and financial abilities to report on sensitive issues such people missing.

UM– USEKE.RW