Fears for missing Rwandan activist - rights group

A Rwandan opposition activist missing for six months may have been "forcibly disappeared" and could have died in custody, a human rights group said on Thursday.

Illuminee Iragena was last seen on the evening of March 26 when she left her house on the outskirts of the capital Kigali, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement.

Rwanda, which is renowned for its stability and growth but criticised for lack of freedoms, is due to hold elections next year. HRW said there are increasing signs of repression with "several disappearances, politically motivated arrests, and unlawful detentions".