My first blog post of 2024 sadly begins on a somber note. I had hoped to start with something more uplifting, but the tragic and puzzling death of Anne Rwigara weighs heavily on my mind.

Anne, a fellow survivor, and member of Igicumbi, one of the few independent survivor organizations, passed away under suspicious circumstances on December 28, 2023. Her brief yet courageous life embodied resilience, and her profound humanity remained undimmed by those who sought to extinguish her light.

Anne persevered through unimaginable persecution in her 41 years, more than most could endure in a lifetime. Her father, Assinapol Rwigara, a prosperous Tutsi businessman, supported Rwanda’s RPF/RPA rebels since the 1990s. Like many Rwandans, he believed they would establish a government upholding equal rights and the rule of law. Tragically, the rebels he backed merely replaced one ruthless dictatorship with another more brutal one.

The current regime harassed and intimidated Assinapol, killing him in 2015 in what appeared to be a staged accident. They wrongly imprisoned his wife and two daughters, Anne and Diane, on baseless charges. They demolished his hotel and seized his tobacco factory, lands, and shares in most Rwandan firms. In a final act of cruelty, many suspect they poisoned Anne too.

Throughout these trials, Anne’s spirit remained unbroken. When I met her last August, I expected to find an angry, embittered young woman. Instead, I was greeted by someone who radiated life, and laughter with no ill will toward her oppressors. At multiple Igicumbi gatherings, I never heard her speak negatively about those who caused her family such suffering.

The cause of Anne’s death remains officially unknown, with her family describing it to the BBC as “mysterious.” However, her friends have little doubt about who might be responsible. After her father’s murder in 2015, the Rwigaras live in constant danger of assassination, forcing Anne to take some security precautions wherever she goes.

Furthermore, as a direct witness to her father’s unresolved murder, Anne posed a threat beyond seeking financial damages or criticizing the regime. She bravely made public the disturbing details she observed firsthand. Anne testified that upon arriving at the scene of her father’s so-called “accident,” she witnessed him being denied medical assistance and prematurely zipped into a body bag alive. Later, she uncovered further evidence of foul play in his father’s death. With such a damning eyewitness account, Anne simply knew too much. She was a dangerous adversary to those wishing to hide the truth.

In addition to the truth she carried, Anne posed another threat – legal rights to contest the regime’s seizure of her family’s assets. As the appointed guardian of the Rwigara family’s holdings, she represented a financial danger to those who had illicitly appropriated their businesses and stakes in major companies. This included COGEBank, one of Rwanda’s largest banks and a firm where her family held majority shares. The bank was controversially sold in June 2023 to the Equity Holdings Group, a foreign investor, in a deal with the regime for nearly 50 million dollars, further exemplifying the regime’s financial encroachments that Anne was poised to contest.

Some believe the regime also worried Anne would, like Paul Rusesabagina’s daughters wage a successful justice campaign in the US, intensifying international scrutiny of Rwanda’s human rights abuses.

Could such fears have motivated the Rwandan regime to target her? It seems plausible given Rwanda’s deteriorating international image amid alleged human rights abuses both in Rwanda and through its proxy groups in DR Congo. The last thing the regime wanted was another determined daughter in the United States, fighting for her family’s justice.

Anne Rwigara’s death, therefore, is not just a family tragedy but a chilling reminder of how far oppressive regimes can go to silence their critics and maintain power.

Anne’s story embodied courage and resilience, and her profound humanity never dimmed. She faced evil without faltering, and her smile and kindness were unmistakable to all who knew her. Her light continues to shine as an inspiration. May her soul rest in eternal peace.

By Albert Gasake 1/13/2024