South African advertising freelancer Leon Orsmond has disappeared in Kigali, Rwanda. Orsmond has been working in Rwanda for more than eight years. A statement released on Tuesday said that in the days leading up to his disappearance Orsmond had been highly critical of Rwandan President Paul Kagame in a number of Instagram and Facebook posts. He was putting the final touches to a book called Banana Republiique, which was critical of the Rwandan state, according to the statement. His disappearance was reported to Rwandan and South African authorities by his cousin, Digby Orsmond, who lives in the UK, and his stepdaughter, Chelsey May. There has been no official confirmation of his arrest or detention. "It is believed that Mr Orsmond had been living illegally in the country after both his passport and visa had expired some years ago," the statement read. May said her stepfather’s last post on social media was on February 17 and that she became concerned about a week later when she had ...
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