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Illegal weapons to be turned in

The Rwandan defence ministry has ordered people illegally owning guns to hand them over to the nearest police station, the Rwanda News Agency (RNA) reported on Tuesday. It cited a ministry press release as saying those who had not handed in their weapons by the 12 March deadline would be “severely punished”. RNA noted that the directive follows recent high-profile killings in the capital Kigali, notably presidential adviser Aciel Kabera who was shot dead outside his home on Sunday.

The National Human Rights Commission has called for a thorough investigation into the murder of Kabera along with other recent killings, including Samuel Sargbah, a Liberian volunteer working for WFP. Its call was echoed by the Coalition of Human Rights Leagues and Associations (CLADHO) in Rwanda. RNA said that according to government media, over 10 people had been shot dead by unknown gunmen since January. Interior ministry sources claimed Kabera’s death was related to the current “cycle of murders”.


This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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