Rwanda: The Dove's music united a nation torn by genocide. Why did he die in a cell?

A year ago, singer Kizito Mihigo died after being arrested for his song mourning the Tutsi and Hutu killings. Now western donors want a full inquiry into his death

Masses will be held across at least four continents this week to mark the anniversary of the death of Rwanda's most famous gospel singer. But there will be a key difference in the ceremonies staged in Kizito Mihigo's country of birth and those abroad. In Rwanda, no one will dare publicly to question how - or why - the baby-faced singer met his end. In the rest of the world, fans will be clamouring for justice.

The 38-year-old star's death in police custody last February sits near the top of a list of cases cited by human rights and civil society groups calling for a fundamental reappraisal of western governments' relationship with president Paul Kagame and his central African nation. Guilt over the international community's failure to stop the 1994 genocide, they say, has for too long encouraged donors to ignore the sinister realities of his Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) regime.