Pierre-Célestin Rwigema

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Pierre-Célestin Rwigema (born 1953 in Gitarama province) is a Rwandan politician.

Rwigema, an ethnic Hutu and economist by education, was a general manager of a private printing company until November 1993. When the Rwandan Genocide occurred in 1994, Rwigema was a member of the moderate faction of the MDR political party. After his resignation as Prime Minister he was accused later of supporting the genocide, but he initially supported the Rwandese Patriotic Front when it overthrew the government and came to power.

Rwigema was the prime minister of Rwanda from August 31, 1995 to February 28, 2000. During his time in office as prime minister, a no confidence vote was brought against him over problems with educational funds when he was minister of education. According to the Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) on 23 December 1999, Rwigema survived the motion, leveled against him by a parliamentary commission of inquiry chaired by Member of Parliament Major Rose Kabuye, on a 34-27 vote. He had to help run the government's handling of the war in the Congo, and prosecution of the perpetrators and recovery from the genocide. Early in 2000, Rwigema announced his resignation. Shortly after he left office, the Hutu president Pasteur Bizimungu also resigned, and the departure of these two officials increased the dominance of the Tutsi vice-president Paul Kagame who became President. Saying that he was being persecuted by the Rwandan government, Rwigema fled to the United States via Germany . The Rwandan government accused him of distributing weapons and chairing a pro-genocide committee in 1994, and a warrant for his arrest was issued in 2001. In 2003, Rwigema won his case of political asylum in the United States Immigration Court with subsequent removal of the warrant arrest and all charges.

Preceded by Faustin Twagiramungu

Prime Minister of Rwanda August 31, 1995 – February 28, 2000

Succeeded by Bernard Makuza

v • d • e Prime Ministers of Rwanda Grégoire Kayibanda • office abolished, 1962-1991 • Sylvestre Nsanzimana • Dismas Nsengiyaremye • Agathe Uwilingiyimana • Jean Kambanda • Faustin Twagiramungu • Pierre-Célestin Rwigema • Bernard Makuza