Rwandan man stabbed to death in Belgium

THE Belgian police are holding a man suspected of stabbing to death Willy Ishimwe Karimwabo, a Rwandan national who has been living in the European country, Rwanda’s Ambassador to Belgium Robert Masozera, has said.

Monday, December 24, 2012
Rwandau2019s Ambassador to Belgium, Robert Masozera. The New Times/File.

THE Belgian police are holding a man suspected of stabbing to death Willy Ishimwe Karimwabo, a Rwandan national who has been living in the European country, Rwanda’s Ambassador to Belgium Robert Masozera, has said.The identity of the person who killed Ishimwe is yet to be released by the Belgian police. According to a family source who spoke on condition of anonymity, Ishimwe, 20, was stabbed yesterday morning around 5am but he didn’t die immediately. Police arrived at the scene before the victim died and was still capable of talking, hence identifying the suspect to the police. Police arrested the suspect, who is said to be a minor. Ishimwe was a Genocide survivor who stayed with his mother Rose Rusingiza. The family has lived in Belgium since he was three years old."Priority now is helping the family, we have already sent our condolences and right now we are heading to the family home to be with them and see how we can help,” said Masozera. He, however, added that the mood amongst Rwandans living in Belgium is tense since there has lately been several attacks on Rwandans and the authorities seem to be moving slow in bringing to justice the perpetrators. "We are still waiting for investigations to be concluded but we will forward our concerns and the concerns of our citizens about the continued attacks on Rwandans to the authorities,” said Masozera.Unconfirmed reports indicate that Ishimwe was stabbed in the thorax after a dispute with the suspect who is black. In August this year, a son to Senate president Dr Jean Damascène Ntawukuriryayo was stabbed in the stomach in Brussels as he was in transit back to school in the US.Roger Ntawukuriryayo, a university student, was returning to school after a two-month holiday. Reports indicated that Roger was ambushed by a gang of black men, in the company of two Rwandans and one Congolese friend.He was stabbed in the abdomen and later rushed to hospital where he was admitted in the intensive care unit. He was later discharged after he recovered.The attack on Roger came weeks after another Rwandan, Jules Mwiseneza, 22, was attacked by a Congolese mob at a subway station in Brussels, and was later admitted in hospital with a fractured jaw.Mwiseneza is a son to Charles Uyisenga, once an employee of Rwanda’s Embassy in Belgium. He is currently a senator.Belgian authorities say they are holding suspects in these cases but none of them has been produced to court yet.