At least there has been one fatality following a stampede at an election rally in Rwanda where President Paul Kagame began his campaign for re-election over the weekend.
Rwandans go to the polls to elect a new president on July 15th with the 66-year-old Kagame running for his fourth term in office under the banner of the Rwanda Patriotic Party, the movement which his supporters credited for ending the 1994 genocide in which over 800, 000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed.
Since the campaign began on Saturday, he has been present at rallies in the north of the country.
The incident happened in Rubavu district on Sunday as supporters of Mr Kagame had gathered to welcome him.
Close to 40 people incurred injuries in the ensuing stampede, the cause of which has not been explained.
Four of those with serious injuries had been sent to hospital.
The Rwandan leader continued his campaign in Rubavu District where tens of thousands of his supporters had gathered draped in the ruling RPF party colours.
His party has sent out a message of condolence to the family of the bereaved and words of comfort for the injured.
Mr Kagame who has been president since 2000 was re-elected to office in 2017 with over 90 percent of the votes.
His main challengers in July’s poll are career politician Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate.
However, Diane Rwigara one of Kagame’s most trenchant critics of Mr Kagame was disqualified from challenging him at the polls after the electoral commission found that her documents were incomplete while failing to demonstrate that her political support was countrywide.
Ms Rwigara had faced the same disqualification in 2017 and she dismissed her exclusion as injustifiable.
WN/as/APA