Exiled Rwandan Journalist Murdered in Uganda

A leading Rwandan journalist and editor has been gunned down in Kampala, where he was living as a political exile.

Charles Ingabire, editor of the Inyenyeri News Web site and a vocal critical of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, had fled his homeland in 2007 after receive death threats and fearing for his life.

He set up the news portal after fleeing to Uganda, where he continued to be threatened by telephone and through comments left on the site.

The outspoken journalist was also physically assaulted two months ago in Kampala by unknown assailants, who told him to close down his site.

Kampala Metropolitan Police are investigating the murder and two people have been brought in for questioning, the Kampala-based Daily Monitor reported.

Leon Magyeshi, who was one of the men detained by police, is believed to have coordinated the murder, according to a source close to the investigation who was quoted by Rwandainfo.com.

Magyeshi, a Rwandese military veteran, has previously organised espionage activities for Kagame's government from Kampala.

"We offer our sincere condolences to his fellow journalists in Rwanda and in exile, who are shocked by this terrible news," the French-based international organisation Reporters Without Borders said.

"While it is still too soon to say who is responsible for his murder, we point out that exiled Rwandan journalists are often in danger, especially in Kampala, where several of them have been physically attacked this year.

"This is the second murder of a Rwandan journalist in the past 18 months, following that of Jean-Léonard Rugambage in Kigali in June 2010."

Ingabire was shot at point-blank range at night by an unknown person in a car as he left a Kampala bar, where he had gone four hours earlier to meet a friend, Reporters Without Borders said.

He was hit in the chest and died on the spot. His body is now in the morgue at Mulago Hospital, where an autopsy is due to be carried out.