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Plain textEXCLUSIVE: Another Grenade Explosion Shakes Rwanda
A grenade blast in Muhanga District in the southern Province of Rwanda has shaken security of the tiny country, with reports indicating President Paul Kagame will soon address press over the matter.
The attack which left at least 16 people injured has sparked fears Kagame could cancel his planned trip to Uganda. Kagame is expected in Uganda today for the January 26 heroes’ day in Kapchorwa district.
But another source said plans for Kagame’s trip are still underway.
The blast, which ripped apart ‘Kwa Jacque’ centre, a popular phone credit business in Gahogo cell, Nyamabuye Sector, is the latest in a series of grenade attacks that have puzzled Rwanda security chiefs.
It occurred at around 7:00pm last night.
Muhanga District Mayor Yvonne Mutakwasuku confirmed the incident, saying the masterminds of the attack have been arrested.
“After the grenade blast, two suspects were arrested. They were both on a motorcycle,” Mutakwasuku told Igihe.com
“Muhanga has a secure environment and residents should not be worried. We shall continue doing anything in our means to protect them,” she added.
A grenade explosion on January 3 left five dead in Kigali.
Rwanda has in the past blamed the attacks on renegade army officers Col. Patrick Karegeya and Gen. kayumba Nyamwasa.
However, these attacks come hardly two weeks after President Paul Kagame ordered the arrest of three army generals for illegal business deals in Congo.
According to the Government of Rwanda, 18 grenade attacks were carried out by FDLR within Rwanda between December 2009 and March 2011, killing 14 people and injuring 219.
With the cooperation of the Rwandan authorities, a UN group of investigators in 2011 interviewed two detained FDLR perpetrators of grenade attacks in southern Rwanda.
One detainee described his recruitment by an FDLR liaison officer in the Ruzizi Plain, who had promised to pay for his medical studies in exchange for his collaboration.
After building up trust, he was tasked with retrieving grenades purchased in Uvira and transporting them to Butare, where he and other members set them off in forests.
According to the FDLR officers involved, the intent of the operations was to instil fear in the population and undermine the Rwandan Government’s claim that the country was secure.
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Updated on 2013-05-09 09:25 |
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