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Kisoro hands over body of Rwandan pregnant woman
Traders at Katuna town council gather around the body of the deceased pregnant Rwandan national before postmortem was conducted. PHOTO BY LEONARD MBISHIZIMANA
What you need to know:
- Two weeks after the closure of the borders, Rwandan security officials destroyed all the temporary bridges on the border line with Uganda in Kabale in a measure to stop Rwandan nationals that were using them to cross into Uganda.
Kisoro. Security personnel in Kisoro District yesterday handed over the body of a 37-year-old pregnant Rwandan national who collapsed and died while crossing into Uganda to buy food.
Rwandan security operatives were chasing the woman, together with other nationals in an attempt to stop them from entering Uganda through ungazzeted border paths near the official border post of Cyanika.
Mr Peter Mugisha, the Kisoro Resident District Commissioner, led the Ugandan security officials that handed over the body to Rwandan security personnel at Cyanika border post.
“We also handed over the postmortem report which indicated that the deceased died of internal bleeding and high blood pressure,” he said.
Mr Mugisha dismissed as false allegations that the deceased was shot by the Rwandan officials.
Identified
Mr Elly Maate, the Kigezi region police spokesperson, identified the deceased as Elizabeth Mukarugwiza, a resident of Musanza District.
He said she died at 10am about 300 metres away from the international boundary with Rwanda.
The survivors told traders at Kyanika border town that they had crossed to buy food stuff and other household items while others were proceeding to a weekly market in Kisoro.
“A 50-year old woman told us that they were a group of about two boys and two women. When they tried to cross the border line, the Rwandan security officials tried to block them but they ran faster and crossed onto the Ugandan land. The Rwandan security officials chased them until the pregnant woman fell down and collapsed and died instantly,” Mr Godfrey Barora, the chairperson of the traders at Kyanika border town on Ugandan side, said.
He said the Rwandan security officials returned after realising that the accused were already on Ugandan land.
Background
On February 27, the Rwandan government closed its borders with Uganda at Cyanika in Kisoro and Katuna in Kabale District and stopped their nationals from entering Uganda.
Two weeks after the closure of the borders, Rwandan security officials destroyed all the temporary bridges on the border line with Uganda in Kabale in a measure to stop Rwandan nationals that were using them to cross into Uganda.
