Statement: The Beheading of Sergeant Major Robert Kabera in Uganda

Sergeant Major Robert Kabera, a former member of the Rwandan army who fled into exile in Uganda after disagreeing with the current regime in Rwanda, was found beheaded in Uganda on the morning of 17 October 2026. We condemn this killing in the strongest possible terms, and we have many reasons to believe he was killed by Rwandan agents.

Who Robert Kabera Was

Sergeant Major Kabera served in the Rwandan army before breaking with the regime. The disagreement cost him his country: he went into exile in Uganda, joining the long line of Rwandan soldiers, officers and critics forced out for refusing to stay silent.

In Uganda he did not retire into fear. He started a YouTube channel where he shared information about atrocities committed by the Rwandan regime, and where he advocated for peace, justice, freedom and an end to the oppressive methods of the current government in Kigali. His voice reached Rwandans at home and in the diaspora, and it embarrassed the regime that had driven him out.

What Happened

On the morning of 17 October 2026, Kabera was found beheaded in Uganda. This was not a random crime. The method, the brutality and the message it sends are the hallmark of the operations the Rwandan regime has carried out against its critics abroad for years, and the pattern of such killings is well documented by the United Nations, human rights organisations and independent investigators.

What the Law Says

Uganda hosts Rwandan refugees and exiles and owes them protection. The killing of an exiled critic on Ugandan soil is a failure of that protection and, if Rwandan agents are responsible, an act of transnational repression that cannot go unanswered. Host states have a legal obligation to investigate, protect and hold those responsible to account.

What We Demand

The Global Campaign for Rwandans' Human Rights demands that:

• The Government of Uganda conduct an immediate, independent and transparent investigation into the killing of Robert Kabera, including every line of inquiry into the involvement of Rwandan agents.
• The results of the investigation be made public, and those responsible, wherever they sit, be identified and brought to justice.
• The Ugandan authorities take immediate measures to protect Rwandan exiles and critics living in Uganda, whose lives are now demonstrably at risk.
• United Nations bodies and international partners treat this killing as part of the documented pattern of transnational repression against Rwandan dissidents, and respond accordingly.

We Will Not Be Silenced

Kabera was killed for the same reason other exiled Rwandan critics have been killed before him: because he told the truth about the regime and called for peace, justice and freedom. We will continue to share his work, document his case and demand accountability. Killing the messenger does not kill the message.