UN Experts Demand Accountability for Disappearance of Rwandan Brothers

“It’s been a painful five years since the brothers were abducted, and we urge the Rwandan authorities to comply with the country’s international human rights obligations,” stated the UN experts.

The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has renewed its urgent calls for the Rwandan government to reveal the fate and whereabouts of brothers Jean Nsengimana and Antoine Zihabamwe, who were forcibly taken by police in September 2019 and have not been seen or heard from since.

“It’s been a painful five years since the brothers were abducted, and we urge the Rwandan authorities to comply with the country’s international human rights obligations,” stated the UN experts. They emphasized the need for the Rwandan government to ensure that the fate of the brothers is established and that thorough investigations are conducted to hold those responsible accountable.

Details of the Disappearance

Nsengimana and Zihabamwe were abducted on 28 September 2019 while traveling on a bus from Kigali to the Nyagatare District in Rwanda’s Eastern Province. Police stopped the bus in the Karangazi area, identified the brothers, and took them away, prompting concerns about their safety.

“Since their abduction, relatives of Mr. Nsengimana and Mr. Zihabamwe have relentlessly sought to ascertain the truth about their disappearance, even when faced with threats and reprisals for doing so,” the experts noted, highlighting the bravery of the families in the face of adversity.

International Obligations

The cases of Nsengimana and Zihabamwe were registered and communicated to the Rwandan government by the Working Group on 15 October 2021, but the cases remain unresolved. “Rwanda is bound by the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and has an obligation to promptly investigate and search for all disappeared persons while holding those responsible accountable,” the experts affirmed.

The Working Group has also expressed concern regarding the alleged abduction and extraordinary rendition of a Rwandan human rights defender residing as a refugee in Kenya, who was reportedly transferred back to Rwanda and is believed to be detained there.

Right to Truth

“The families of all disappeared persons need answers from the Rwandan authorities,” the experts insisted. They emphasized that relatives have a right to know the truth about the circumstances surrounding enforced disappearances, the progress and results of investigations, and the fate of the disappeared individuals.

In addition, the experts expressed regret that Rwanda is not yet a State party to the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances, the only core human rights treaty that Rwanda has not ratified or agreed to.

“We urge Rwandan authorities to become a State party to the International Convention and to refrain from taking any actions contrary to its object and purpose,” the experts concluded. They reiterated their willingness to engage in constructive dialogue with the Rwandan government and offer support in its efforts to comply with international human rights obligations.