Kizito Mihigo

Kizito Mihigo (25 July 1981 – 17 February 2020) was a Rwandan gospel singer, songwriter, organist, composer of sacred music, television presenter, genocide survivor, peace maker and peace and reconciliation activist. Kizito was an iconic activist who dedicated his life to healing the souls of his fellow genocide survivors and rebuilding unity and reconciliation in Rwanda. According to Kisito's words, published on Kizitomihigo.com, he claimed, "The objective of my works is to console and strengthen the wounded hearts, singing peace and forgiveness." His ultimate performance in healing and Peacebuilding started in 2010 when he created the Kizito Mihigo Peace Foundation,

In April 2014, after releasing a critical song challenging the official narrative of the Rwandan genocide, Mihigo was arrested and charged with planning to oust the government. under suspicious circumstances.

Early life and education Kizito Mihigo was born on 25 July 1981 in Kibeho, Nyaruguru district, in the former Gikongoro Province (now Southern Province) of Rwanda. He was the third of six children born to Augustin Buguzi and Placidie Ilibagiza. At the age of 9, he began composing songs. Five years later, when he was studying in secondary school at the Petit Seminaire de Butare, he became the most popular liturgical organist and composer of the Catholic Church in Rwanda.

In 1994, Mihigo was orphaned in the Rwandan genocide. He escaped to Burundi where he met surviving members of his family, and tried unsuccessfully to join the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) to avenge his family. In July 1994, Mihigo returned to Rwanda. After high school, he enrolled at the seminary to become a priest, and through music and the Christian faith, he managed to forgive those who killed his father. In Paris, Mihigo undertook organ and composition courses under the supervision of Françoise Levechin-Gangloff. He then began his international music career in Belgium.

In 2011, Kizito Mihigo settled permanently in Rwanda and became a respected artistic personality. He was regularly invited to sing at national ceremonies for the genocide commemoration.

Mihigo's close relationship with the government raised the Christian scrutiny, who were disappointed by their liturgical composer's possible deviation towards politically oriented themes. However, in 2011, the singer tried to reassure his fans. His religious concerts attracted a large number of people in Kigali and Kibeho, Mihigo's birthplace. Such events were often celebrated in the presence of different ministers. In 2011, Mihigo's most popular concerts were those for Easter and Christmas.

Works Since the 1994 genocide, the Rwandan singer had composed more than 400 songs in 20 years.

The most popular are: "Arc en ciel" "Mwungeri w'intama"

Activism for peace and reconciliation

During his stay in Europe, Mihigo met the Mouvement international de la Réconciliation (MIR), a French non-governmental organization (NGO) that advocates for non-violence. In 2007, in collaboration with the organization, Kizito Mihigo organized a Mass for Peace in Africa, held in Brussels.

For the African Catholic community living in Europe, he had regularly organized concerts of sacred music followed by a Requiem Mass for victims of violence across the world. These masses were celebrated by André-Joseph Léonard, the bishop of Namur who later became the archbishop of Brussels.

In 2010, the Mihigo created the Kizito Mihigo Peace Foundation (KMP), an NGO advocating for peace and reconciliation.

Awards

In August 2011, in recognition of his activities for peace, Mihigo received a CYRWA award (Celebrating Young Rwandan Achievers) given by the Imbuto foundation, an organization of the First Lady of Rwanda, Jeannette Kagame.

In April 2013, the Rwanda Governance Board recognized the Kizito Mihigo Peace Foundation among the top-ten local NGOs that had promoted good governance in Rwanda. Because of this, the Foundation received the "RGB award" of .

Television presenter From 2012 until his death, Kizito Mihigo had presented Umusanzu w'Umuhanzi (English: The artist’s contribution), a weekly national television program produced by the KMP Foundation.

Critical song In March 2014, Mihigo uploaded a new song called "Igisobanuro Cy’urupfu" (English: "The Meaning of Death") on YouTube. The song challenged the official narrative of the Rwandan genocide.

The song contained the lyrics:...Though the genocide orphaned me, let it not make me lose empathy for others. Their lives too were brutally taken but not qualified as genocide. Those brothers and sisters they too are human beings. I pray for them. I comfort them. I remember them ... Death is never good, be it by the genocide, or war or slaughtered in revenge killings... In the same song, the singer criticized a program called "Ndi umunyarwanda" (English: I am Rwandan). In this controversial program launched by President Kagame in 2013, the whole Hutu population is urged to apologize for having participated in the Rwandan genocide. My dignity and love are not rooted in carnal life nor in material possessions, but in humanity. Let the words I am Rwandan be preceded by I am human

Arrest On 7 April 2014, the day of the 20th commemoration of the genocide, the singer was reported missing. On 15 April, Mihigo was presented to journalists by the Rwanda National Police, arrested on suspicion of plotting terrorist attacks and collaborating with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and the Rwanda National Congress (RNC) political parties to oust the government.

Many observers were convinced that Mihigo's arrest was linked to the prohibited song that had been released a few days earlier. This was posthumously confirmed by Mihigo himself. A few weeks before the announcement of his arrest, during a speech for the graduation ceremony for police officers at Gishari, Paul Kagame declared, "I am not a singer to entertain haters of Rwanda". After the official announcement of the arrest, the Rwandan government banned the broadcast of Mihigo's songs on local radio and television.

Following a hearing on 21 April, a confession interview was broadcast. According to Radio France Internationale (RFI), in this interview Mihigo "pleaded guilty to all charges and requested to be assisted by a lawyer". RFI reported that in a second confession interview, he declared that he had "accepted the idea of reading a statement denouncing the lack of the rule of law in Rwanda and calling the youth to rise".

Reactions A human rights defender interviewed by RFI stated that, "Those kinds of confessions are contrary to the principle of presumption of innocence". Other Rwandan human rights activists spoke of "an action to oppress Reconciliation acts". Rwandan official sources rejected accusations of possible torture.

According to Al Jazeera and France Inter, the singer's kidnapping on the eve of the 20th commemoration of the genocide resulted from the lyrics of his song "Igisobanuro cy'urupfu", in which he challenged the Commemoration Policy implemented by the Kigali government led by the Rwandan Patriotic Front.

Belgian journalist Colette Braeckman found it difficult to believe that the singer was working with the FDLR. Interviewed by Le Nouvel Observateur, she considered the singer's arrest a sign of internal unrest. "There is no doubt, something else is going on, which we don't know because everyone is silent as usual in Rwanda", she told Le Soir.

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) denounced the arrest as having a political aftertaste. The organization spoke of "a new proof of the repressive turn of the regime of Rwandan President Paul Kagame". Reporters Without Borders reacted after the arrest of Mihigo and his co-defendants, including journalist Cassian Ntamuhanga. The NGO denounced the illegal detention of the journalist a week before the official announcement of the police, and was concerned about the deteriorating environment for the media in Rwanda.

The United States expressed concern following the arrest of Mihigo. According to RFI, Washington reminded the Rwandan government of the importance of "allowing freedom of expression [...] respecting the freedom of the press and granting defendants the minimum guarantee for a fair trial". The United Kingdom also considered the case of Mihigo and his co-defendants, asking the Rwandan government to ensure a fair trial.

After the reaction of the US and UK, during his visit to Western Province, President Kagame rejected the criticism of arbitrary arrests. He threatened to "continue arrests and even kill in broad daylight those who would attempt to destabilize the country".

The Rwandan opposition in exile, comprising the Rwanda National Congress (RNC) and the FDLR, condemned Mihigo's arrest. An RNC spokesman declared that he was disturbed and disappointed by the president's speech and said Mihigo's arrest was a consequence of his song "Igisobanuro cy'Urupfu".

Trial After two postponements, the trial began on 6 November 2014 in Kigali. Mihigo pleaded guilty to all charges against him and requested leniency from the panel of judges. His lawyers said that they did not find the elements of an offense. The three co-defendants plead not guilty and claimed torture.

Pleadings The prosecution accused Mihigo of having conversations via Internet with an alleged member of the RNC, an opposition party in exile that the government describes as terrorist. In these written conversations, Mihigo suggested a reversal of the government with names of people to be killed, among them President Kagame.

In his argument, Mihigo acknowledged having had these conversations with a man named Sankara but denied the intention to kill the President and said that his commitment in the discussions was motivated by simple curiosity. "I was in conflict with some of the officials at that time, but I have never had problems with the President," he told RFI. On the third day of the trial, Mihigo waived his lawyers and continued to plead guilty.

International NGOs for the defence of human rights, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, criticized the conduct of the criminal proceedings in their reports for the year 2014–15, denouncing the illegal detention, torture and the politicization of the trial. In its 2015–16 report, Amnesty International speaks of an "unfair trial [...] believed to be politically motivated". Human Rights Watch noted that "Mihigo was held incommunicado in an unknown location for several days in April 2014 before being formally questioned by the police and brought to trial". Before and during his incommunicado detention, according to Human Rights Watch, "... government officials repeatedly questioned him about a religious song he had written in March in which he prayed for victims of the genocide and other violence. They also questioned him about his alleged links with the RNC. Police officers beat him and forced him to confess to the offenses with which he was later charged in court".

Reporters Without Borders requested that the court's decision be reviewed on appeal.

After the verdict was announced, Rwandan political opposition parties said that "Kizito Mihigo is a political prisoner", judged in "the trial with the regime's image".

In a resolution read on 6 October 2016 the European Parliament condemned politically motivated trials and attacks on freedom of expression in Rwanda, especially the trial of Victoire Ingabire. The case of Mihigo was also mentioned. The European MPs urged the Rwandan authorities: "immediately to release all individuals and other activists detained or convicted solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression".

In prison According to Mediapart, Mihigo continued his fight for peace and reconciliation while in prison. Quoting testimonies from the singer's fellow detainees, the website reports that after his arrival in Kigali Central Prison, Mihigo contributed to the restoration of trust between some prisoners who were continuously agitated by ethnic hatred.

Appeal and release On 10 September 2018, Mihigo abandoned his appeal complaint, which he had lodged in the Supreme Court. Four days later, on 14 September, Mihigo and Umuhoza were released by presidential grace.

Rearrest and death

Mihigo was rearrested by locals and security agents in Nyaruguru. On 14 February 2020, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) confirmed that it was holding him at that time, alleging that the singer illegally attempted to cross the border into Burundi by bribing the locals. Mihigo died on 17 February 2020 with the cause being a subject of debate; the Rwandan police reported him to have committed suicide in police custody by hanging himself on the window using bed sheets, while political opponents of the Rwandan government claimed that he was tortured to death. A journalist from a local TV reported that he saw three wounds on his body (one on his forehead, and two on his cheeks). This journalist (known as Cyuma Hassani) was persecuted and jailed many times and he is now in the same jail Kizito was. Some people questioned how hanging himself would leave him with wounds on cheeks and forehead, among other issues.