Rwandan military officers sentenced for inciting insurrection, links to exiled critics

In Kigali, Rwanda, two former high-ranking military officers, Colonel Tom Byabagamba and retired Brigadier General Frank Kanyambo Rusagara, have been sentenced to 21 and 20 years in prison, respectively. They were charged with inciting insurrection, tarnishing the government's image, and having links to exiled critics of President Paul Kagame, including the late Patrick Karegeya and General Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa. The military court also found them guilty of spreading the message of the Rwandan National Congress, an opposition group. Rusagara's driver, retired Sergeant Francois Kabayiza, received a five-year sentence and a fine for obstructing a criminal investigation. The defendants denied the charges and indicated plans to appeal. Exiled opposition members have accused Kagame's government of targeting critics abroad, which the government denies.