The Rwanda government has rejected the accusations peddled in a report released by the Human Rights Watch organisation.
In the report, HRW accuses the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) of intolerence to government critics, arbitrary arrests and detentions and alleged forced disappearances.
Details in the HRW report also include accusations against Rwanda for extraterritorial repression of government critics abroad.
“Human rights watch continues to present a distorted picture of Rwanda that only exists in their imagination. Any balanced assessment of Rwanda’s record in advancing the rights, well-being, and diginity of Rwandans over the past 29 years would recognise remarkable transformational progress.Rwanda will not be detered from this work by bad-faith actors advancing a politicised agenda,” said Yolande Makolo the Rwanda government Spokesperson.
The report also alleges that civil and political rights remain severely curtailed, and freedom of expression is tightly restricted.
The Human Rights Watch report goes on to propose to the UK government to abandon its asylum transfer deal with Rwanda .
Yasmine Ahmed, UK director for Human Rights Watch said, “The Human Rights Watch findings highlight that Rwanda is not a country the UK should rely upon to uphold international standards or the rule of law when it comes to asylum seekers.”
In April 2022, the UK and Rwandan governments announced the signing of a new Asylum Partnership Arrangement, under which the UK plans to expel to Rwanda people seeking asylum in the UK.
Despite the damning accusations, HRW acknowledges in its report, “Rwanda has made great strides in rebuilding its infrastructure, developing its economy, and delivering public services.”
