Photo credit: People’s Gazette Nigeria
Rwandan authorities have denied entry to a senior researcher in the Africa division at Human Rights Watch, Clementine de Montjoye, upon arrival in the country, on May 13, 2024.
The lady had travelled to Rwanda for meetings with officials from foreign embassies. She was, however, denied entry for undisclosed “immigration reasons.”
The executive director at Human Rights Watch, Tirana Hassan said, “Rwanda touts itself as an open and welcoming destination, but the treatment reserved for those who may investigate abuse expresses the government’s deep-seated hostility to human rights monitoring and independent scrutiny of any kind. The Rwandan authorities can demonstrate that their projected openness is not just a facade and allow de Montjoye to return to Rwanda and carry out her work without obstructive or interference,.”
De Montjoye had informed the government of her travel plans and the Justice Ministry on April 29 and May 7. Human Rights’ Watch also contacted the National Commission for Human Rights’ chairperson, who replied that she was outside the country.
Human Rights Watch informed the authorities when de Montjoye travelled to Kigali with the same documents as June 2022 and August 2023, and she she did not encounter any problems.
But when she arrived on May 13, immigration authorities took her passport. She was then asked to board a flight to Nairobi in the evening. When she got to Nairobi, she was given her passport and a document stating she had been denied entry for immigration reasons.
The denial of entry shows the authorities’ assault on human rights.
Human Rights Watch has conducted research on the human rights situation in Rwanda for over 30 years. Previous staff had faced similar situations in 2008, 2010 and 2018.
In 2018, a Human Rights Watch researcher was denied entry and a Rwandan consultant working with the organisation was detained and arbitrarily held for 6 days.
De Montjoye’s denied entry follows the publication of a comprehensive October 2023 report which documented Rwanda’s systematic targeting of critics and dissidents beyond its borders.
