Belgian prosecution takes on cases of assaulted Rwandans

The Belgian Police has finalised its investigations into recent attacks on Rwandans in the European country and handed its findings to the King’s Prosecution, The New Times has learnt.This follows the stabbing of the son of Senate president Dr Jean Damascene Ntawukuriryayo and an attack on Jules Mwiseneza, at a subway station in Brussels.Roger Ntawukuriryayo was stabbed in the stomach in Brussels while on transit to the United States where he studies. Reports indicate that Ntawukuriryayo, who is in his early 20s, was ambushed by a gang of about eight black men in the company of two Rwandans and a Congolese national.He was stabbed in the abdomen and later rushed to a hospital where he was admitted in the intensive care unit.“He has been discharged but doctors are still following him up. Belgian authorities carried out investigations although they haven’t informed us about their findings. All we know is that they have submitted their findings to the King’s Prosecution,” said Rwanda’s Ambassador to Belgium, Robert Masozera. “We hope these investigations came up with something tangible but at the moment, we don’t want to link the stabbing of Roger Ntawukiriryayo to the Congolese.”So far, no suspects have been arrested yet but it is believed that those who attacked Ntawukuriryayo are linked to a ring of Congolese gangs accused of carrying out violent attacks on Rwandans living in Brussels in recent months.Mwiseneza, 22, was attacked by a Congolese mob at Merode subway station in Brussels, and was later admitted to hospital with a fractured jaw.The attacks came in the wake of eruption of fighting in eastern DR Congo between government troops and the M23 rebels, who mutinied in April following the collapse of a 2009 peace deal that integrated them into the army.Kinshasa has accused Kigali of backing the rebels but the latter has strongly denied the allegations.Speaking in Kigali during his recent visit, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Didier Reynders, said Brussels was aware of the attacks targeting Rwandans, saying they would ensure justice for the victims. “We have organised all possible activities for proper prosecution. It is unacceptable – we have the police, the logistics, we will do whatever it takes,” Reynders told journalists at the end of a two-day visit to the country.The association of the Rwandan Diaspora in Belgium petitioned the authorities over the attacks, which are supposedly linked to allegations of Rwanda’s involvement with the DRC conflict. On August 18, the group staged a peaceful protest against the attacks in Brussels.There have also been reports of targeted attacks and torture against Rwandans in the neighbouring country in recent months.

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Belgian prosecution takes on cases of assaulted Rwandans