Why are People Killing Each Other in Rubavu District

In one sector of Rubavu district, nearly 10 people were killed by family members in spate of killings that have caused alarm at local and central government levels.

For the past 3 months, in Rubavu sector alone, yet there are many other sectors in same district, a mother hacked her 10 year-old child accusing him of stealing Rwf 5,000 ($5.30). In same area, local security guard killed another child of same age.

Not far away, a man allegedly connived with his concubine to kill his wife, and they hid the body in farmland around the family home.

In late November, a young woman killed 2 children in the home where she worked as house help. Barely 2 weeks later, a Congolese man decapitated his Rwandan wife.

Two weeks later, a 65 year old man hacked his wife to death. He came home drunk and went straight to attack the elderly wife while she slept. He immediately went to police station in the area.

Last week, a man was beaten to death by others following a quarrel in a bar.

In same area, a body of a woman was found stuffed in sacks and buried in the home of the owner. It emerge the body was of his wife.

In same sector, at different times and different places, two men were found hanged. However, there was no indication the victims had committed suicide.

The many deaths and killings in such a small locality prompted Rubavu district mayor Habyarimana Gilbert together with security officials to hold meetings around the sector.

According to residents speaking at the meetings, the deaths are result of either domestic violence or alcohol and drug abuse.

The region is an urban area, and borders DR Congo, with plenty of cheap alcohol flowing into the town. Nearly all the cannabis sold in Kigali comes from eastern DRC smuggled through Rubavu.

The mayor and his delegation blamed village heads for laxity, which allowed family disputes to deteriorate into partners killing another. Family fights over property are also very common.