African authority suspended the Miss Rwanda beauty pageant after its organizer, Dieudonné Ishimwe, was suspended in late April on allegations of sexual abuse. 

According to the statement of Rwanda’s Minister of Youth and Culture, Rosemary Mbabazi, as per the ongoing investigations by the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) of the CEO of Rwanda Inspiration Backup, over the alleged sexual abuse of Miss Rwanda contestants, the Ministry of Youth and Culture notifies the general public that Miss Rwanda beauty pageant has been halted pending completion of investigations.

This month on, last Friday, Rwanda Inspiration Backup, the organization behind the Miss Rwanda beauty pageant, launched its registration process for Miss Rwanda 2022 contestants. 

Ishimwe, 36, a former musician named Prince Kid, faces charges of rape, soliciting or offering sexual favors, and harassment.

It’s alleged that the crimes occurred several years after he took over the pageant’s running in 2014.

In Rwanda, rape brought a 15-year maximum sentence.

In 2021, President Paul Kagame called for more drastic penalties for gender-based violence perpetrators.

He stated: “We should put all our efforts into fighting these crimes and ensuring that it reduces significantly. The authors of this crime, their abettors, and those that protect them should face strict punishment. It should be costly for those who try to attempt these crimes; he stated all these things to stakeholders in the justice sector during the launch of the 2021/2022 judicial year. 

One of the former beauty queens was arrested on the same day when their government suspended the Miss Rwanda beauty pageant in the wake of recent sexual abuse charges brought against the organization’s chief executive.

Ishimwe is arrested on the charges of assaulting former contestants of the Miss Rwanda beauty pageant at various times. 

As per sources, he tried to abuse at least four girls. He currently faces charges of rape, soliciting sexual favors, and sexual harassment.