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Kinyarwanda
The Rwanda National Police, on Monday revealed two suspects in the July 26th grenade attack in Gitega sector of Nyarugenge District, which killed three people and injured 32 others.
They are Jean de Dieu Ntakirutimana alias Rafiki, 21, who hails from Rusizi District and his brother-in-law, Jean de Dieu Mugabonake, 23, from Bugesera District.
Ntakirutimana’s wife is a sister to Mugabonake.
The duo was shown to journalists at Kicukiro Police Station.
Ntakirutimana, who confessed to the terror act, said he was recruited by the eastern DRC-based, Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which is made up of members who are largely responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
“I was given military training by FDLR. Later, Commander Matovu (Col. Enock Bizimana) gave me and my colleague (Emmanuel Magwenderi), an assignment to carry out this attack,” Ntakirutimana said.
Ntakirutimana, who left the country when he was four, returned to Rwanda in January this year, disguised as a returning refugee.
“Magwenderi, later in March brought two grenades, as was planned under the instructions of Matovu, to carry out the attack. The instructions were that we carry out the attack in Nyabugogo bus terminal, but we changed the location after we found out that we would be easily noticed,” he explained.
Ntakirutimana, who was arrested on July 29, said he carried out the attack with Magwenderi, who he said escaped back to their rebel camp in DRC.
After the attack, Ntakirutimana escaped to Runda, where he spent a night in an unfinished building and continued the journey the following day. He was arrested in Rubavu District as he tried to cross to DRC.
Mugabonake, on the other hand, is said to have given Ntakirutimana refuge at his home in Bugesera where they were based to plan and execute the attack.
Police Spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Theos Badege said the two will be charged with terrorism, treason and murder.
“Shortly after the attack, security services launched investigations that led to the arrest of these two. Investigations are still on, because we believe there could be other people connected to these terror acts,” ACP Badege reiterated.
“This is an FDLR act, and I call on the general public to continue to cooperate with Police by providing information on suspicious people, to prevent such criminal acts from happening” he added.
The High Court sentenced 19 people to prison terms from five years to life for their involvement in the grenade attacks in Rwanda since 2010.
