This archive report was first published on 7 August 2020.
On August 7, 2020, Rwanda's government implemented a tough approach to combat the spread of COVID-19, sending thousands of people to stadiums for late-night lectures on the dangers of the virus.
Since mid-July, approximately 70,000 individuals have been ordered by police to attend these lectures after being caught breaking the 9:00 pm curfew or not wearing mandatory face masks.
Every evening, public health messaging is broadcast through loudspeakers to spectators seated at least a meter apart in the stands, urging them to be ambassadors in the fight against the new virus.
Those attending the sessions, conducted under the watch of armed guards, are sent home with strict orders to self-quarantine after the sessions wrap up around dawn.
AFP spoke with Jado son Nizeyimana, who was stopped by police for wearing his mask incorrectly and was told to report to the nearest stadium.
“From now on, I’ll wear it wherever I am,” he said.
Police have taken to informing bosses of their employees’ transgressions, and some individuals have been given a choice: pay a fine of 25,000 Rwandan francs ($26/22 euros) or face public admonishment.
Human Rights Watch has called for a transparent inquiry into allegations of killings, rapes, and other serious crimes by Rwanda’s security forces during the country’s lockdown.
