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KIGALI, Rwanda, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- The Rwandan government isn't tied to the assassinations of political opponents as alleged by the BBC, the country's foreign minister claims. The BBC said its investigations into political assassinations during the run up to presidential elections Monday suggest President Paul Kagame ordered the slaying of his opponents.
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Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo told the British broadcaster the allegations were baseless.
"This is a leadership that is quite popular and therefore wouldn't gain anything from insecurity, killings and assassinations," she said.
Lt. Gen. Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, a former Rwandan army chief, was shot in South Africa in June but survived the attack. He had fallen out of favor with Kagame and his family blamed the government for the shooting.
A journalist investigating the shooting was killed in Rwanda at the order of the government, his editors said.
Meanwhile, in July, Andre Kagwa Rwisereka, a member of the opposition Democratic Green Party, was found dead with his head nearly cut off. The opposition party said it was unsuccessful in registering its candidates for the Monday poll.
Patrick Karegeya, a former Rwandan intelligence chief, told the BBC that many of the political assassinations came on orders from the president.
"He believes in killing his opponents, that is the problem I have with them, there is a long list of people that have died politically," he said.
The foreign minister flatly rejected any of the claims.
"For sure my government and president are not involved in any way," she told the BBC.
