Murdered Gacaca president poisoned a week before his death minister

SOUTHERN PROVINCE HUYE—Paul Rutayisire, a Kabulemera Gacaca court president in Karama sector who was murdered last week had apparently survived an earlier attempt on his life a week before he died. Speaking during a security meeting at the district headquarters on Tuesday, Internal Security Minister Musa Fazil Harerilimana said intelligence reports reveal Rutayisire was poisoned but survived that first attempt on his life. “We have reports that Rutayisire had been given poison through local beer the previous week. This incident should have been an eye opener to local authorities that all was not well,” said the minister. “As local leaders it is important for you to identify people who could be targeted and institute measures to protect them.” The minister’s visit follows a spate of killings that have rocked the province, mainly targeting Genocide survivors and Gacaca witnesses. The minister revealed that the Province tops all others in crimes resulting from the Genocide ideology and that the district comes only second to Nyanza in Genocide-related crimes at the national level. The Minister called upon local leaders to involve the local population in programmes like community policing, where all play an active role in each other’s security. Huye Mayor Aimable Twagiramutara called upon sector executive secretaries to intensify night patrols. Ends