Grégoire Kayibanda

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Grégoire Kayibanda (May 1, 1924-December 15, 1976) was the first elected President of the Republic of Rwanda. He was born in Tare, Rwanda, and came from the south of the country. He led Rwanda's struggle to become independent from Belgium and replaced the Tutsi monarch with a republic.

Encouraged by the Pan-Africanists, Hutu advocates in the Catholic Church, and by Christian Belgians (who were increasingly influential in the Congo), Hutu sentiment against the aristocratic Tutsi was increasingly inflamed. The United Nations mandates, the Tutsi overlord class, and the Belgian colonialists themselves added to the growing unrest. The Hutu "emancipation" movement was soon spearheaded by Gregoire Kayibanda, an ethnic Hutu and founder of PARMEHUTU(Parti du Mouvement de l'Emancipation Hutu), who wrote his "Hutu Manifesto" in 1957.

The group quickly became militarized. In reaction, in 1959 the UNAR party was formed by Tutsis who desired an immediate independence for Ruanda-Urundi, to be based on the existing Tutsi monarchy. This group also became quickly militarized. Skirmishes began between UNAR and PARMEHUTU groups. Kayibanda's successful campaign brought his ethnic group, the majority ethnic group in Rwanda, which was oppressed to power.

Kayibanda served as President of Rwanda from 1962 when he was elected after independence, until July 5, 1973, when he was overthrown by his defense minister Major General Juvénal Habyarimana in a military coup. The Habyarimana coup was described as bloodless but it was not. An estimated fifty five people, mostly officials, lawyers or businessmen close to the previous regime, were killed either by poison or by hammer blows after being arrested and thrown into prison. The families of these people were given sums of money to pay for their silence. Kayibanda and his wife were starved to death in a secret location.

v • d • e Presidents of Rwanda Dominique Mbonyumutwa • Grégoire Kayibanda • Juvénal Habyarimana • Théodore Sindikubwabo • Pasteur Bizimungu • Paul Kagame

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

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