Ingabire Umuhoza Victoire has denied links to an opposition coalition cited by prosecutors in a case involving her and nine co-accused before the High Court in Kigali.
Ingabire, founder of the unregistered DALFA Umurinzi party, made the denial on Monday, September 28, as she began responding to allegations presented by prosecutors during the previous four days of the trial.
Prosecutors have accused her of founding and leading FDU-Inkingi and said the party later joined P5, a coalition of groups opposed to the Rwandan government that prosecutors have linked to attacks in Musanze in October 2019.
They also told the court that Ingabire had been part of RDR, an organisation founded in former Zaire with an objective of using force to enable Rwandan refugees to return.
Ingabire rejected the claim, saying she had never belonged to that organisation. She said prosecutors were referring to a different RDR, which she said later became ALiR and then FDLR, while she belonged to another organisation with the same acronym.
She said she led FDU-Inkingi until her arrest on October 14, 2010, and should not be held responsible for activities carried out while she was in prison.
Ingabire also denied involvement in the October 2019 attack in Musanze, saying she was among those who condemned it publicly at the time.
She told the court that P5 was formed in June 2016, while she was in prison, and that she therefore did not participate in its creation.
She further argued that FDU-Inkingi’s rules did not allow the party to join an armed coalition such as P5, which prosecutors said was organised under the military leadership of former Rwandan army officer Kayumba Nyamwasa.
Prosecutors have also alleged that Ingabire established DALFA Umurinzi in 2019 to distance herself from FDU-Inkingi’s alleged role in the Musanze attack.
Ingabire said she supports political change through democratic and non-violent means.
The hearing ended at 12:54 p.m. The court will resume the case on October 1, when Ingabire is expected to continue presenting her defence.
