Rwanda: Fear of further political killings

Recent killings, apparently politically-motivated, have heightened fears for the safety of people released from detention because of insufficient evidence of their involvement in the 1994 massacres. On 27 July 1995, Placide Koloni, his wife and daughters (both under 16) and his servant were killed at their home by unidentified attackers. Placide Koloni had been reinstated as administrator of Ruhango sub-prefecture on August 1994. In February 1995 he was arbitrarily arrested and accused of taking part in the 1994 massacres. He was imprisoned in Gitarama Prison but released on 24 July 1995, on the recommendation of the Commission de triage. He and his family were killed three days later. In separate incidents two other men were killed: the body of Pie Ntahobali, a Hutu priest who had tried to protect Tutsis during the massacres, was found on 2 August. He had been taken away by soldiers the evening before. The same night, the body of Oreste Habinshuti was found in a river. The identity of his killers is unknown.

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