By Enyichukwu Enemanna
One person has been pronounced dead, while scores of others were injured following a stampede at the campaign rally of Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, officials have announced.
Heritage Times HT reports that campaign for the July general election officially kicked off on Saturday, with Kagame holding two rallies in northern Rwanda over the weekend.
The stampede on Sunday happened in Rubavu district, where 37 people were injured, four of whom were hospitalised with serious injuries, a statement from the ministry of local government said.
It apologised to the deceased’s family, adding that a medical team on site “did everything possible”.
The ministry following the stampede urged “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”.
On Monday morning, Mr Kagame’s RPF-Inkotanyi party said it was “deeply saddened” and sent its condolences to the deceased’s family.
“The RPF-Inkotanyi organisation will continue to… closely monitor those injured in the conflict,” it said in a statement published on social media.
Mr Kagame is running for a fourth term. He has been the country’s de facto leader since 1994, when his then rebel group, the Rwanda Patriotic Front, seized power at the end of the genocide directed at members of his Tutsi ethnic group.
He won the last presidential election in 2017 with nearly 99% of the vote.
The 66-year-old president has faced criticism from rights groups for cracking down on the opposition – but he has fierecly defended Rwanda’s record on human rights, saying his country respects political freedoms.
