It’s been ten months since the mysterious disappearance of Gasana Anatole, a businessman and vocal member of the Rwanda National Congress (RNC), in Kigali. Despite persistent appeals from his family, Anatole has not been seen or heard from since January 2021 . Even more troubling is the total silence from Rwandan authorities. No investigation. No answers. No justice.
Gasana’s vanishing occurred amid increasing repression of political dissent in Rwanda, especially after the 2015 constitutional amendment that allowed President Paul Kagame to pursue a third term. For many, Anatole’s disappearance is not an isolated incident , it’s part of a growing pattern of enforced silence.
Before his abduction, Gasana Anatole reportedly faced threats from state security operatives, warning him to renounce his political affiliations or face severe consequences. According to sources close to his family, his disappearance has endangered his wife and children. The family continues to face persecution from the Rwandan government and the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), including the confiscation of their commercial properties.
This repression reflects a broader strategy by the Kagame regime, targeting not only political dissidents but also their families. The asset seizure appears to be a deliberate effort to silence the family, prevent them from speaking out about Anatole’s disappearance, and pressure them to sever ties with the Rwanda National Congress (RNC), an opposition party allegedly linked to Anatole and believed to be the root cause of the family’s persecution.
Sadly, Anatole is not alone.
Innocent Bahati: A Poet Lost, A Nation Mourns
Just few days after Gasana’s disappearance, another name joined the list: Innocent Bahati , a beloved Rwandan poet and teacher. On February 7, 2021, Bahati vanished in Nyanza after receiving a phone call from an unknown person asking to meet at a local hotel. His phone went dead shortly after and he hasn’t been seen since.
Bahati was only 31. Born in Nyagatare, he was a graduate of the University of Rwanda and a teacher at Green Hills Academy, one of Kigali’s most prestigious schools. But it was his poetry marked by compassion, social awareness, and a deep call for humanity that made him a household name.
Bahati gained national recognition in 2016 after winning the “Kigali Vibrates With Poetry” contest with his poignant piece Rubebe, a heartfelt exchange between a young orphan and God. His words deeply resonated with a nation still struggling to reconcile its painful past with its uncertain present.
Yet, when poets across Rwanda gathered to mark World Poetry Day on March 21, his name was conspicuously absent from official speeches. Instead, Edouard Bamporiki, Secretary of State for Culture in the ministry of Culture and youth and a poet himself, delivered a chilling message:
“When poetry loses its way, it can mislead the public… I ask you to forget the difficulties our poetry community has known and focus instead on advising those who stray from the right path.”
Enforced Disappearances, Arbitrary Detentions, and Political Killings: A Growing Trend Under President Kagame’s Rule in Rwanda.
Gasana Anatole and Innocent Bahati join a long and growing list of Rwandans who have vanished or died under mysterious, often politically charged circumstances. Among them:
- Boniface Twagirimana, deputy leader of FDU-Inkingi, disappeared from prison in 2018. Authorities claimed he escaped. He has never been found.
- Illuminée Iragena, a nurse and opposition supporter, disappeared on her way to work after visiting Victoire Ingabire in prison.
- Anselme Mutuyimana, Ingabire’s assistant, was found strangled in Gishwati Forest in 2019.
- Eugene Ndereyimana, FDU-Inkingi representative, disappeared on July 15, 2019.
- Sylidio Dusabumuremyi, national coordinator of FDU-Inkingi, was stabbed to death at work in September 2019.
- Venant Abayisenga, aide to Ingabire, went missing in 2020 just months after his acquittal in a terrorism trial.
This wave of disappearances is not new:
- Andre Kagwa Rwisereka, vice-president of the Democratic Green Party, was found beheaded in 2010.
- Christine Iribagiza, a civilian, was mysteriously found dead in 2017.
- Seth Sendashonga, former Minister of Interior, was assassinated in exile in 1998.
- Theoneste Lizinde, former intelligence chief, also killed abroad.
Perhaps the most prominent case is Patrick Karegeya, a founding RNC member and former intelligence chief, who was found strangled in a Johannesburg hotel in 2010 his death widely believed to be a targeted killing.
The Price of Dissent in Rwanda
In Rwanda, challenging the RPF regime comes at an unimaginable cost. Whether you’re a political leader, a poet, or a citizen with a voice, dissent has become a dangerous act. The cases of Gasana Anatole and Innocent Bahati are not just personal tragedies they are part of a systematic campaign to silence criticism and eliminate opposition .