CHAMPION OF JUSTICE

The presidential pardon granted to Victoire stipulates that she is permitted to leave Rwanda with the Ministry of Justice's approval. However, her repeated requests to visit her family in the Netherlands have so far been met with silence. Consequently, Victoire cannot leave Rwanda. Furthermore, her closest supporters have either disappeared, been killed or been arrested without cause in Rwanda. Despite everything she has been through, Victoire remains committed to her quest for democracy and development for all in Rwanda.

Victoire has been recognised for her bravery, dedication to democracy, and outstanding efforts in defending freedom and human rights. In 2012, she was nominated for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. In 2019, she received the International Human Rights Award from the Spanish Association for Human Rights (Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de España), and in 2024 she was awarded the Liberal International Prize for Freedom.

HER JOURNEY

Ms Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza was studying business management and economics in the Netherlands when the Rwandan genocide took place in 1994. Following the genocide, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) came to power, but failed to establish genuine democracy and respect for human rights and the rule of law in Rwanda over time. In 1998, Ms Ingabire joined the Republican Rally for Democracy in Rwanda (RDR). That same year, the RDR formed an alliance with the Forces de Résistance pour la Démocratie (FRD), led by the late former Rwandan prime minister Faustin Twagiramungu. This fusion formed the Union des Forces Démocratiques Rwandaises (UFDR).

Victoire was elected president of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) during the party's congress in Bonn in 2000. In 2006, three political organisations — the FRD, the RDR and the Alliance Démocratique Rwandaise (ADR-Isangano) — merged to form the Forces Démocratiques Unifiées (FDU-Inkingi). In 2008, the FDU-Inkingi decided to participate in the Rwandan presidential elections, which were scheduled for August 2010. As President of the movement, Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza returned to Rwanda in January 2010 to register the FDU-Inkingi party and present her candidacy for the presidential election. Upon her arrival, however, she was arrested and, in a politically motivated judicial proceeding, sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Rwandan Supreme Court.

Her appeal to the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights cleared her, ruling that Rwanda had violated her right to freedom of expression and to an adequate defence. After eight years of imprisonment, five of which she spent in isolated confinement, Victoire was released under conditions in 2018 by presidential grace. In 2019, she resigned from the FDU and founded the political party Development and Liberty for All (DALFA-Umurinzi). Her party has not yet been registered in Rwanda. Its aim is to strive for the rule of law and sustainable development that benefits every Rwandan. Since her release from prison, Victoire has advocated for governance reform in Rwanda by promoting inclusive dialogue.

Development and Liberty for All (DALFA) is a political party grounded in the spirit of liberalism, aiming to address social inequalities and promote social equity. The party upholds the values of individual freedom, equality before the law and participatory governance. DALFA firmly believes that true development cannot occur without democracy. Through its actions and advocacy, DALFA strives to create a just and inclusive society in which all citizens enjoy equal opportunities and freedoms, ensuring that liberal democracy and development go hand in hand to create a better future for Rwanda.

DALFA-UMURINZI

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