Accused of illegal political activities (Denmark 30 May 2002; BBC 20 Apr. 2002; HRW 2003) and of "attacking state security, [and] fostering ethnic division" (ibid.), the leader of the Parti démocratique pour le renouveau (PDR-Ubuyanja) and former Rwandan president Pasteur Bizimungu was arrested and detained in April 2002 (Denmark 30 May 2002; BBC 20 Apr. 2002; Africa Research Bulletin 25 May 2002, 14826). Earlier reports published in May and June 2001 noted that the former Rwandan president had been placed under house arrest after announcing the foundation of his PDR-Ubuyanja (BBC 13 June 2001; ibid. 31 May 2001; see also RWA41034.F of 24 March 2003). Over the same accusations, Charles Ntakirutimana, the PDR-Ubuyanja's secretary general, was also arrested in April 2002 (Denmark 30 May 2002; BBC 20 Apr. 2002; HRW 2003).

Referring to PDR-Ubuyanja and its leaders, Human Rights Watch (HRW) wrote the following:

In 2001, [Rwandan] authorities confiscated notes and recordings from journalists who interviewed Bizimungu and on one occasion obliged diplomats to leave his house. They seized all copies of a memoir that Bizimungu tried to publish in late 2001. Street mobs attacked both Bizimungu and Ntakirutinka with impunity. In December 2001 unknown assailants assassinated another PDR-Ubuyanja founder, Gratien Munyarubuga, at midday in the capital, Kigali. Authorities detained another supporter, Catherine Mujawamariya, at the end of 2001 for a month and arrested twenty-four other suspected PDR-Ubuyanja members in April and May 2002, including the treasurer of the Rwandan League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LIPRODHOR) as well as a Rwandan employee of the United States embassy. Some were freed within two months but others were held for longer periods. Before Bizimungu's arrest authorities restricted his movements, refusing even to allow him to attend church services (ibid.).

The same report added that "in January [2002] police arrested Laurien Ntezimana and Didace Muremangingo of Ubuntu [newspaper], and charged them with attacking the security of the state for publishing the word 'ubuyanja' a term meaning 'renewal' also found in the name of Bizimungu's party" (ibid.).

A 7 June 2002 Amnesty International report stated that suspected members of the banned PDR-Ubuyanja, including the following 20 people who are "farmers, teachers, accountants, civil servants and shopkeepers" were detained by government authorities:

Agnès Bazubafite (f), Jean-Claude Nshimyumukiza, Obed Nsengiyumva, Jean-Damascène Kazimanyi, Bareberaho, Mwunguzi, Bazimenyera, Evariste Ntakirutimana, Aloys Bizimana, Suzanne Mukabigega (f) and Ndisebuye; (from Kigali) Philémon Munyaneza, Charles Nshimyumukiza, Grégoire Uzabakiriho, Jean-de-Dieu Nyamucahakomeye, Valens Munyaneza, Joseph Gasasira, Emmanuel Ngayaberura, Damascène Ndahayo and Damascène Nsengimana.

A journalist within Le Soir, a Belgian newspaper, who is a specialist of the African Great Lakes region, stated during a 17 March 2003 telephone interview, that since the PDR-Ubuyanja was declared illegal in June 2001, every person who is suspected of being a member or supporter of the PDR-Ubuyanja may be targeted by Rwandan authorities. However, she added that, to her knowledge, the former Rwandan president's wife, who is of Tutsi origin, has never been arrested nor sought by Rwandan authorities (Le Soir 17 Mar. 2003).

In his interview with Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent, Paul Kagame, the current president of Rwanda, stated that Bizimungu's wife is one of his family members (14-20 Oct. 2002, 34).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Africa Research Bulletin [London]. 25 May 2002. Vol. 39 No. 4. "Rwanda: Ex-President Arrested."

Amnesty International (AI). 7 June 2002. "Rwanda: Number of Prisoners of Conscience on the Rise." (AI Index: AFR 47/002/2002). http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/2002/rwanda06072002.html [Accessed 27 Mar. 2003]

BBC. 20 April 2002. "Rwanda's Ex-President Detained." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1941587.stm [Accessed 17 Mar. 2003]

_____. 13 June 2001. "Former Rwandan President Petitions Successor." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1386041.stm [Accessed 17 Mar. 2003]

_____. 31 May 2001. "Rwanda Ex-President Under Arrest." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1361820.stm [Accessed 17 Mar. 2003]

Denmark. 30 May 2002. Danish Immigration Service and United Kingdom Home Office. Report on Political Situation, Security and Human Rights in Rwanda. http://www.udlst.dk/Publikationer/Publikationerne/fact-finding_Rwanda.htm [Accessed 18 Mar. 2003]

Human Rights Watch (HRW). 2003. Human Rights Watch World Report 2003. "Rwanda." http://www.hrw.org/wr2k3/africa9.html [Accessed 17 Mar. 2003]

Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent [Paris]. 14-20 October 2002. No. 2179. François Soudan. "Paul Kagame : la guerre est finie."

Le Soir [Brussels]. 17 March 2003. Telephone interview with a journalist who is specialist of the African Great Lakes region.

Africa Confidential 2000-February 2003.

Africa Research Bulletin 2000-January 2003.

IRB Databases.

Europa 2001-2002.

Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent 2002-March 2003.

LEXIS/NEXIS.

Resource Centre country file. Rwanda.

Websites, including:

Africatime.

Allafrica.

Amnesty International.

FIDH.

Human Rights Watch (HRW).

International Crisis Group (ICG).

IRIN.