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By: Robert Patrick Fati Gakwerere
Protais Mitali, former Minister of Sports and Culture under Criminal Paul Kagame’s regime and Rwanda’s former Ambassador to Ethiopia, died on Friday, 1st August 2025, reportedly due to multi-organ failure. He had fled Rwanda to Belgium on 2nd April 2015, citing fears of political persecution.
Before his defection, Mitali led the Liberal Party (PL), one of Kagame’s pseudo-opposition parties used by the regime to project an illusion of political pluralism in the potato enclave – Rwanda. He gained notoriety among civil society and pro-democracy activists for his hardline stance against dissenters critical of Kagame. He was notably accused of persistently harassing gospel singer and peace activist Kizito Mihigo, who was later assassinated on 17 February 2020 through strangulation while in police custody.
Rwanda: Embracing Reconciliation: To Live in Peace and Die Happy by Kizito Mihigo powerfully recounts the ordeal he endured at the hands of certain state operatives and criminal elements, including Protais Mitali. One of the early points of contention between Protais Mitali and Paul Kagame arose from intelligence reports delivered to Kagame by his security services, specifically, information provided by external intelligence operative John Ngarambe. These reports alleged that Mitali had held a private meeting in Addis Ababa with a diplomat friend, during which they discussed Kagame’s intention to amend the Constitution in order to remain in power indefinitely. Notably, this was even before Criminal Paul Kagame had officially announced the plan to his subjugated citizens. At the time, Mitali was serving as Rwanda’s Ambassador to Ethiopia. Following the allegations, he was recalled to Kigali. However, someone tipped him off about what awaited him upon his return. Fully aware of the imminent danger, Mitali fled to Belgium with his entire family.
On 28th July 2015, Interpol issued a red notice against Mitali on charges of embezzlement and theft, allegations widely regarded as fabricated and politically motivated. Mitali appealed the red notice, and in 2017, Interpol reviewed and officially cancelled it, concluding that the warrant was rooted in a politically motivated vendetta rather than any genuine criminal wrongdoing.
Mitali’s sudden death has raised suspicions of Kigali’s covert operations to eliminate dissidents through poisoning. Many Rwandans are pointing to what they describe as “silent elimination”, a tactic long associated with the inner workings of Paul Kagame’s brutal regime.
