According to reports by officials, at least one person has died, leaving dozens more injured during a crush at an election rally for Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame.
The campaign for July’s general election began in earnest on Saturday, Kagame holding two rallies in northern Rwanda over the past weekend.
The crush had occurred on Sunday in Rubavu district, leaving 37 people injured, four out of whom were hospitalised with serious injuries, according to a statement from the ministry of local government said.
The ministry further apologised to the deceased’s family, revealing that a medical team dispatched on site had done everything they could.
Kagame is vying for a fourth term in office. He has been the country’s de facto leader since 1994, when his then rebel group, the Rwanda Patriotic Front, snatched power at the end of the genocide directed at members of his Tutsi ethnic group.
He had won the last presidential election held in 2017 with almost 99% of the total vote.
Mr Kagame will face two other politicians namely: Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party and independent Philippe Mpayimana in the race to become Rwanda’s number one man.
The elections are scheduled to hold on 15 July to elect their next president and lawmakers.
What They’re Saying
After Sunday’s incident, the ministry of local government prompted “those participating in campaign activities… to follow the instructions given by those in charge to ensure the safety and tranquillity of those participating in campaign activities”.
In the same manner, Kagame’s RPF-Inkotanyi party remarked that it was “deeply saddened”, sending out its condolences to the deceased’s family on Monday morning.
“The RPF-Inkotanyi organization will continue to… closely monitor those injured in the conflict,” the party had said in a statement published on social media.
