Popular Rwanda gospel singer dies in custody

<p>A popular Rwandan singer whose music was banned by the ruling regime was found dead in Kagali, police said Monday.</p> <p>Kizito Mihigo was said to have committed suicide while in custody, three days after he was caught trying to flee the country.</p> <p>The singer was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in 2015 for conspiring against the government. </p> <p>He was later pardoned and recaptured trying to cross the border in Rwanda’s south.</p> <p>Police said Mihigo was visited by his relatives and lawyers while in detention. Investigations have begun to ascertain why he allegedly took his own life.</p> <p>Mihigo fell out with the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front party in 2013 after he composed songs that questioned the government’s tight control of the legacy of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.</p> <p>He songs, once popular with the ruling elite was subsequently banned. </p> <p>Two years later, Mihigo was accused of terrorism and soliciting support for an opposition movement. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.</p> <p><strong><span class="caps">AFP</span></strong></p>