Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza - the female Mandela

Victoire Ingabire is a Rwandan woman who was born in 1968. She is a married mother of three children, who lived in exile from 1993 to 2010 – a total of 16 years. She returned to Rwanda in 2010 desiring to create a better future for her children and all Rwandan people.

A future rooted in reconciliation and restoring hope after the war of 1990 to 1994 which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and the genocide in 1994 that took a million lives. Her vision was based on the concepts of truth-telling and acknowledging all victims of the Rwandan war and the Rwandan genocide.

Part of her plans included competing in the presidential elections of 2010. Upon her arrival, the regime in Kigali led by Paul Kagame blocked every effort to register as a candidate and a state sponsored hate campaign was unleashed on her. She was persecuted, her supporters physically assaulted, and she was arrested on 14 October. She was subsequently sentenced to 15 years in prison to ensure she did not run in the presidential elections of 2010 or any elections in the foreseeable future.

Victoire Ingabire's work has shed light on the ongoing repression in Rwanda. This includes the lack of free speech, the persecution of journalists whom many are jailed for doing their jobs, and millions of Rwandans who live in fear of consequences of disagreeing with the government of Rwanda. The irony is that in a country that boasts of having the highest percentage of women in parliament in the world, the only woman that openly challenged the regime and had a legitimate chance to win is imprisoned. Today she is seen as the representative of the thousands imprisoned in Rwanda for their beliefs.

Ingabire, whom many are calling the 'female Mandela' is admired throughout the world. Naima Rajhi, a Tunisian woman rights advocate says of Victoire Ingabire that “We need women like her to become role models of courage to all African and Arab women”. Whilst Congolese historian and activist said of her "The day Victoire put one foot back in Rwanda, she became a heroine."

Since Ingabire's incarceration theFriends of Victoire has provided information about her situation and campaigned for her release. They urge others to follow her lead on a non-violence fight towards peace, equality, liberties and democracy for the future of all humanity. On 24 October they are calling for a day of reflection in Belgium to mark the anniversary of her five year imprisonment.

* Ekklesia is very grateful to be have been made aware of Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza's remarkable story of courage and struggle by Marie Lyse Numuhoza of the Friends of Victoire campaign. In the coming months we plan to publish further articles about Victoire Ingabire and the situation in Rwanda and to provide updates about the campaign for her release

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