The body of late Louis Baziga, the head of the Rwandan community in Mozambique who was murdered in Maputo on Monday was flown home for burial on Friday evening. The development was confirmed by the Rwandan envoy to Mozambique, Claude Ntikobisanzwe during an interview with The New Times. According to Nikobasanzwe, the deceased’s body left Maputo Friday evening and will arrive in Kigali on Saturday evening. Earlier this week, reports indicated that Baziga was killed in his car at around 11 am Monday in the Matola region of the Mozambican capital, Maputo. It was reported that Baziga, who was a businessman in Mozambique, was blocked by two vehicles as he drove in the suburb and gunmen from the cars pulled out guns and started shooting at his car. He reportedly died on the spot. Citing accounts by eyewitnesses to the local police, Nikobisanzwe earlier told this paper that Baziga was shot dead “by about three people.” Investigations by police in Maputo are underway, according to the envoy. However, Baziga was said to have had a running feud with a group of friends and family members who, reports indicate were not happy for his open support of the government in Kigali where he was a regular traveler. It is said that his stance was not popular among many members of the Rwandan community in the southern African country, where many have preferred to remain refugees and therefore are opposed to the Kigali government. In March 2016, Baziga survived an attempt on his life and three suspects – all Rwandans - who were arrested in connection with the attempted murder were released under unclear circumstances. The trio is Diomède Tuganeyezu, Benjamin Ndagijimana and Revocat Karemangingo. Who actually killed Baziga? On Thursday media reports pointed the businessman’s murder to a criminal gang linked to anti-Kigali people in Maputo. Those mentioned but could not be independently verified are Eric-Thierry Gahomera, honorary consul of Burundi in Mozambique, and a trio of Revocat Karemangingo, Diomède Tuganeyezu and Alphonse Rugira alias Monaco, reportedly formerly members of the defeated genocidal regime’s army (Ex-Far) who are now businessmen in Mozambique. Others are Karemangingo’s cousins – only identified as Lambert and his elder brother Alexis, who also live in Mozambique. Then there is Benjamin Ndagijimana alias Ndagije, and a pastor called John Hakizimana, both reportedly affiliated to the dissident group that calls itself Rwanda National Congress. Asked about these reports and what has come out of the police investigations in Maputo, Nikobisanzwe said: “Mozambique Police has not made any announcement on who killed him.” editor@newtimesrwanda.com
