Grégoire Kayibanda

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Grégoire Kayibanda

President of Rwanda
In office 1 July 1962 – 5 July 1973
Succeeded by	General Juvénal Habyarimana
Personal details
Born	(1924-05-01)May 1, 1924 Tare, Rwanda
Died	December 15, 1976(1976-12-15) (aged 52) unknown
Nationality	Rwandan
Political party	Parmehutu (Parti du Mouvement de l'Emancipation Hutu)

Grégoire Kayibanda (May 1, 1924 – December 15, 1976) was the first elected and second President of Rwanda. He led Rwanda's struggle for independence from Belgium, and replaced the Tutsi monarchy with a republican form of government. He asserted Hutu majority power.

Early life and education

Grégoire Kayibanda was born in Tare, Rwanda. He came from the south of the country and was an ethnic Hutu.

Background

The Hutu majority had long been resentful of power held by the Tutsi minority. They were encouraged by Hutu advocates in the Catholic Church, and by Christian Belgians (who were increasingly influential in the Congo). The United Nations mandates, the Tutsi elite class, and the Belgian colonists contributed to the growing social and political unrest. Gregoire Kayibanda, an ethnic Hutu, led the Hutu "emancipation" movement. He founded the political party Parmehutu (Parti du Mouvement de l'Emancipation Hutu; Hutu Emancipation Movement Party), and wrote his "Hutu Manifesto" in 1957. The group quickly became militarized.

In reaction, in 1959 Tutsis founded the UNAR party, made up of those who desired immediate independence for Ruanda-Urundi based on the existing Tutsi monarchy. This group also became quickly militarized. Skirmishes began between UNAR and PARMEHUTU groups. Kayibanda's successful campaign brought the majority Hutu to power for the first time in Rwanda.

In 1961 the Rwandan monarchy was dissolved, and Kayibanda was elected president on October 26.^[1] He served as President of Rwanda from 1962 until July 5, 1973, when he was overthrown by his defense minister Major General Juvénal Habyarimana in a military coup. Although described as bloodless, as a result of the coup, an estimated 55 people, mostly officials, lawyers or businessmen close to the previous regime, were reportedly executed. The families of these people were given sums of money to pay for their silence. The new government held Kayibanda and his wife in a secret location (rumored to be a house near Kabgayi), where they were reportedly starved to death.

References

↑ Emmanuel Kwaku Akyeampong; Henry Louis Gates; Mr. Steven J. Niven (2 February 2012). Dictionary of African Biography. Oxford University Press. pp. 2–. ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5.

Political offices
Preceded by Dominique Mbonyumutwa	President of Rwanda October 26, 1961 – July 5, 1973	Succeeded by Juvénal Habyarimana

v t e Presidents of Rwanda

Dominique Mbonyumutwa Grégoire Kayibanda Juvénal Habyarimana Théodore Sindikubwabo (interim) Pasteur Bizimungu Paul Kagame

v t 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 Pierre Habumuremyi

Authority control	WorldCat VIAF: 8198522 LCCN: n95101688 ISNI: 0000 0000 6145 3311 GND: 119460998

Persondata
Name	Kayibanda, Gregoire
Alternative names
Short description	President of Rwanda
Date of birth	May 1, 1924
Place of birth	Tare, Rwanda
Date of death	December 15, 1976
Place of death	Secret

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.