Testimony of forced vaccination in Rwanda

They made me sit, two standing on both sides as someone swiftly got out the syringe and pushed the needle into my arm, and pumped the vaccine like the wasp pumps its venom into its prey.

In the last couple of weeks, the Central African country intensified its hunt for the unvaccinated in which thousands including Emmanuel Uwitonze in East CentralRwanda were arrested.

This is a testimony from one who was arrested in Kayonza, East Central Rwanda along with several others, taken to custody and forcibly vaccinated the following day.

My name is Emmanuel Uwitonze. I am a 29-year old man with a bachelor's degree in paramedicine I attained at the University of Rwanda.

When the local government officials arrested us for not being vaccinated, we argued that it is not fit for someone receive medication against his/her conscience, and with my knowledge in medicine, I explained to them the rights of individuals to accept or refuse any medical treatment from a medical practioner. The ambitious and uneducated people but with authority were not listening. They became so furious.

Authorities took us into the police custody where we spent the night.

The next morning, authorities came and started taking one by one, vaccinating us on force even kicking the ribs of one young man who tried to resist.

I felt there was no human dignity for me as I was being taken to be vaccinated against my will as if I'm not a human being to decide on my own.

There was the tent, two Dassos standing there [the DASSO is a security organ that works with the local government] very strong and ready to do anything it takes to force me to be vaccinated.

They ordered me to remove my sweater and, knowing how violent the authorities can be, I did not hesitate lest I take a dangerous kick and be tied up.

I prayed in my heart and got ready for the administration of medicine against my conscience and will.

They made me sit, two DASSOs standing on both sides as someone swiftly pushed the syringe into my arm and pumped the vaccine like the wasp pumps its venom into its prey.

They all laughed, scorned and ridiculed me for having refused the injection before, telling me that I was wasting my time.

I don't know what to tell about my feelings at this point; I felt like my conscience was raped and defiled moreover by people who did not even attend school leave alone studying medicine.

I felt I had no value and dignity that a human being is born with. I felt abandoned in the whole world. I felt as if I was necked before the world, in great shame and humiliation.

I felt as if I was a captive in a foreign land as if I had no country to defend me, I  felt a lot of things.

I told one of them that had it been the time when the international community was concerned, he would be charged with crimes against humanity for forcing me to be injected with a substance I refused.

I really don’t know what other things I said at that time. I felt like the quality of conscience in a human being was a disappointment.

It was the greatest molestation I suffered in my life and I don’t expect to suffer anything so low as being injected with a substance against my will and conscience.

I would gladly suffer the conditions they would put to limit me from accessing anything but remain unvaccinated until I feel content to have the injection. 

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