At the beginning of February, Police intensified the search for a 30-year old Rwandan man who had been reported missing two weeks earlier.The Inspector General of the Rwandan National Police received a letter from Frank Habineza, the founding member of the yet-to-be registered Green Party reporting the disappearance of Omar Leo Oustazi – the party’s communications secretary.In a surprising twist of events, Habineza issued a statement severing ties with Omar Leo citing “irresponsible behavior” believed to be insulting the head of the party.“The consultative meeting of the Executive Committee of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, resolved to relieve Mr. Omar Leo, from his duties as the party’s communication secretary, due to his irresponsible behaviour largely displayed in his oral and written communications, especially in the social media,” the statement read.Social media platforms especially Facebook has been the channel of communication for the “Green Party.”According to the Inspector General of Police, the preliminary investigations into the search for missing Omar indicate that he was actively communicating using a cell phone registered on a Burundi network. His Facebook account was active too. In one online exchange that took place on Habineza’s Facebook account over the last 48 hours, the Green Party president wrote on his wall that he would pardon missing Omar if he asked for forgiveness.A statement to which the missing Omar responded saying he cannot ask for forgiveness when he has done nothing wrong and that it is Habineza who is falsely accusing him of insulting the Green Party boss.The public exchange of the two men does not only put the unregistered party into further disrepute but questions the legitimacy of reports that Omar was genuinely missing.“Is this a sick joke or what?” Tina Kagoyire who followed the exchange asked.In an interview with Omar’s sister last evening at the home they shared in Nyamirambo, she said she was not worried about her brother’s disappearance and that he was fond of leaving home for days without communicating.Omar is also wanted by the local leaders of his home area after it emerged he is a suspect in a case involving forged stamps and documents issued by the local leaders“The Police cannot keep spending public resources following up on faked missing persons reports or staged disappearing acts,” IGP Emmanuel Gasana said.
