Thread by @Nyac_juru_jesse, #History of #Rwanda in its precolonial, during colonialism and the post-colonial period.To [...]

#History of #Rwanda in its precolonial, during colonialism and the post-colonial period.
To the #youth and others who doesn't know much about my motherland here is a small #Thread:

#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

Our nation is not young like many in #Africa it's traced back to 1091 AD even older than some European ones. It was around #Gasabo that's why it's called u Rwanda rwa Gasabo.
Located in East Central of Africa. It's a landlocked country
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

Bordered by #Tanzania in the East, #Uganda in the North, Democratic Republic of Congo #DRC in the West and #Burundi in its South
It was led by #Kings who ruled over the whole country. There was total organisation in the country monarch

#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

There was the King [Umwami] ,the Queen Mother[Umugabekazi], the Queen [Umwamikazi] and Princes(s) [Ibikomangoma]. After the Royal family there were Abatware[3 Chiefs]:
- Umutware w'ingabo: Army Chief/ Commander
- Umutware w'ubutaka: Land Chief
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

- Umutware w'ubukenke: Cattle Chief
And it's all was aligned till to the village. And trust me it was all since 1300 AD meaning 700 years ago.
There were high followed and respected procedures for a succession of Kings from generations to....
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

Generations.
The Kingdom has 26~28 generation of Kings. Today #Rwanda is 26 338 sq km but back in 1880s it was twice it's today's size. Covering Ubufumbira to lake Albert in #Uganda some west part of #DRC especially the two Kivu provinces

#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

As we know there was the Berlin conference in 1884-85 where #European countries divided #Africa regardless to their sovereignty and borders at the time.
#Rwanda lost it's half territory even without knowing it. And this was the precolonial time

#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

But before we go to the colonial times here is the first thing you should know. Like in #Europe
Monarchy was for the king and the queen and this system was made up of:

#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali #France #Paris

1. Clergy(the First Estate),
2. Nobles (the Second Estate), and
3. Peasants and bourgeoisie (the Third Estate)
In Rwanda we had three social economic classes. [ Tutsi, Hutu, and Twa].
They were all classes you could Change from one to another
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

As I said they were social economic classes:
1. Tutsi (First class)
2. Hutu (Second class)
3. Twa ( Third class)
If you did something bravery you could move from 3rd to 1st/2nd ever did something shameful you could be moved from 1st/2nd to 3rd
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

The King

came from the 1st class and when he was crowned he became the king of all [of all the three] he had no class anymore. The Queen was from different big houses like in GOT [Stark, Bolton,etc]

#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

We had 18 Big houses in Rwanda and you could find the 3 classes all included in one big house and they could have intermarriage to have allies like in Europe etc.
Here are the Big houses:

#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

Those 3 social economic classes were nothing to what the colonials brought and turned it into.
Now in 1890s that's when the first white men came to Rwanda. Rwandan Kings weren't known 2 have stopped any Arab to enter in their kingdom but also...
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

They never allowed slave trade in Rwanda. So this made Rwanda an unknown country to those European explorers. They could come and cross in the south/north of it but not through as said Dr. Livingston in his journal.
But there was trade in 1890s
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

When the first colonials arrived, they found a well established structurally, systematically nation what in French they call "Etat Nation" it was like where they were from. It made them really question themselves how they will colonise us!
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

So we were united I repeat strongly united under one King bravery ready to defend our land. So they brought the Roman agenda of "DIVIDE AND CONQUER" but for them it was "DIVIDE AND RULE" meaning that in order to rule your conquest you....
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

The #germans were first to colonise us, by their system of giving orders to the king but let him look like he is ruling. They colonised from 1895~1916 when they lost the battle against Belgians in Congo.
This happened in the First World War.
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

In 1900s the church was infiltrated in politics strongly and empowered.
That's what they were in Rwanda.
As in the whole #Africa _n continent they were known as "White fathers"
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

They were given lands in all corners of the country. As I told you earlier there was 3 social economic classes[ Tutsi, Hutu and Twa] and you could change from one to the other due to your actions. Then the worst started when the Belgians...
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

Came in Rwanda from Congo. As King Musinga V fought along the Germans, Belgians came with a thought for vengeance. They took a generation and took them in Congo and else where to be no retraced. There is a generation lost and many don't know.

#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

In 1916 that's when the Belgians came to Rwanda under the rule of King Musinga and they changed from king ruling to themselves.
Remember there were three social economic classes.
-Tutsi
-Hutu
-Twa
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

When white people came they had a mission first to ruin and destroy African culture and then they brought the church

with "White Fathers" here we have the founders of hatred in our country. In the following tweets we talk about 2 of them:

#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

Léon-Paul Classe (28 June 1874 – 31 January 1945) installed on 10 April 1922 in Rwanda he came and started to divide rwandans.
In 1925 they introduced the worst thing the identity card with Tutsi, Hutu and Twa included
But here I am to explain

#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Rwanda #Kigali

Paul Classe he firstly introduced schools for only high officials children so that in any case they will use it against Tutsi chiefs against their people. And then they [White Fathers] started to teach people that they are different.....
#Kwibuka25 #Rwanda #Rwot #Kigali

.... Imagine telling brothers that they are different that they ain't from the same place. At the beginning they refused but as we all know a lie that is told often turns into the truth. This ideology was taught for over 70 years....
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

In 1920s there was a disease that killed many cows in Rwanda as Classe wanted to punish Tutsi he decided to make national IDs (Ibuku) so
Everyone who had above 10 cows became Tutsi, 10 to less cows they became Hutu and those who had....
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

...no cows became Twa.
In 1931 the Rwandan King Musinga who didn't want to be baptized and who didn't want to listen to their agenda was overthrown and exiled to Shangi in Cyangugu. The white found that there were still loyal people...
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

Would come from Nyanza the royal palace and tell Musinga what was going on, so the white fathers decided to exile him in Moba in DRC and that's where he passed away.
They crowned his son King Mutara III Rudahigwa Charles Leon Pierre...
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

The three names originates from three White Fathers of Rwanda-Urundi one from Congo and the other one. So his names or so called christian names were from 3 Priests of the region. He was a christian and in 1946 he dethroned himself to Jesus...
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

U Rwanda arutura umwami Kristu. So the King started to urge the Belgians to give Rwanda Freedom as other #Africa n countries after the #WWII then here he got troubled with the white men.
At first Tutsi only were Chiefs so that in their plans..
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

They could cause a Hutu up rise telling them that Tutsi manipulated them and that they should remove them from power. Tutsi Chiefs were there to supervise plantations and Hutu were the manpower ordered to work labour force if not they were beaten
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

By their Chiefs or Chiefs would be beaten ibiboko by white supervisors.
King Mutara removed and ordered chiefs to divide their cattles with population at a certain percentage to avoid any way uprising would escalade and again he removed..
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

Ubuhake a due labor just to avoid any crisis in our country.

The second initiator of #genocide ideology and hatred is
Archbishop André Perraudin a Swiss Catholic clergyman who lived in Rwanda for nearly 50 years...

#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

He was Archbishop of Kabgayi from 1959 to 1989.
So for him he put in action the Belgian plan to overpopulate the eastern part of Rwanda and according to their plan it would have taken 20 years but after the death of King Mutara on
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

25-July-1959 in Burundi. His sudden death wasn't accidental coz he had plans to go in @Un to ask that Belgians should give Rwanda the independence but without a reason someone (a Belgian) lied to him that the Rwanda-Urundi Resident wanted him...
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

Bujumbura and when he went there found that the man was in Vacation ( i don't remember well if it was in Kinshasa or Belgium) but he wasn't there. So his doctor told him to come and have a medical check up as he intend to go to New York for @un
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

So we are certainly sure that he was murdered bcoz he was really fighting for the independence of Rwanda. So the Belgians were ready to create chaos and as they found that the King was dead they tried their first attempt by....
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

Listing who should replace King Mutara III and elders 'Abiru' sworn that at end of the day Rwanda should have a King and he is not among the provided list by Belgians.
ABIRU decided that it should be Kigeli V Ndahindurwa half brother to Mutara.
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

The Belgians weren't happy. As in 1957~58 there were a growth of multiparty system in Rwanda like UNAR, MDR-Parmehutu, APROSOMA, etc...

They were here to support the Belgians agenda to divide Rwandans then based on Ethnicity.

Most of them were
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

In the quoted tweet, I talked about one of the farmers of the #GenocideAgainstTutsi here is another one
https://twitter.com/Nyac_juru_jesse/status/1120281661323792385?s=19

#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

https://twitter.com/Nyac_juru_jesse/status/1120281661323792385?s=19

The second one was Archbishop André Perraudin was a Swiss Catholic clergyman who lived in Rwanda for nearly fifty years. He was Archbishop of Kabgayi from 1959 to 1989. He is the mastermind behind the coup on 28.01.1961
#Kwibuka25 #Rwot #Kigali #Rwanda

As Rwanda was in times of confusion, different parties which had different agendas but some were based on full hatred and divisionism such as Parmehutu, and Aprosoma.. which we may talk on how they impacted the planning of ...

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot https://twitter.com/Nyac_juru_jesse/status/1126139997655130112?s=20

https://twitter.com/Nyac_juru_jesse/status/1126139997655130112?s=20

the #GenocideAgainstTutsi.
APROSOMA (Association pour la promotion sociale de la masse) from 1957-1965. It was created by Gitera Joseph a seminarist alumni and its HQ was in Save. He owned "ijwi rya rubanda rugufi" where he published "The 10 Hutu Commandements"
#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

There was also UNAR (Union Nationale Rwandaise) was a conservative political party founded on 3/ Sept/ 1959 by Francois Rukeba.
It was mainly by tutsi but welcomed everyone as there were some hutus who joined as they believed in Mwami....
#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

The third was PARMEHUTU (Parti du Mouvement de l'Emancipation Hutu) which was also known as Mouvement démocratique republicain (MDR-Parmehutu). Founded by Gregoire Kayibanda who published with 8 others "The BAHUTU MANIFESTO" in 1957 and he became the....
#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

president after Mbonyumutwa Dominique. As chaos was in alot of people at the time, belgians were out of saying they had everything under control. So as Kayibanda was their main weapon they weren't sure that UNAR wouldn't try some attempts on him..... and bet on

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

him (Dominique Mbonyumutwa) in case he is killed their plans would still work out. He was on interim basis as the first President of Rwanda, from 28 January to 26 October 1961, following the abolition of the Rwandan monarchy (King Kigeli V Ndahindurwa).

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

Late King Kigeli V revealed a convo he had with Belgian colonel Guy Logiest (1912-1991) who served in colonial Rwanda as Belgium's top-ranking colonial official, the special military resident from 1959–1962 and High Representative (1962) under his guidance,

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

he once told King Kigeli V that he had direct orders to come and overthrown the King's monarch and when told otherwise he would come and share un glass de whisky. and later he was overthrown and Mbonyumutwa was the interim President at that time.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

In 1959, there was a Hutu Revolution as so called where 20 thousands of Tutsis were killed and other hundreds of thousands were forced to flee to neighboring countries like Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Zaire (RDC) , Kenya and other countries either....

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

Canada, USA,etc in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the American continent. And those who stayed in Rwanda were taken as living hostages as whenever their relatives abroad will try any moves related to coming back in their country, others would die.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

MDR-Parmehutu at first was called Hutu social mvt and later renamed on 25/09/1959. It dominated the baringa elections of 1960 by winning 2,390 of 3,125 elected communal council seats and 160 of 229 burgomasters.
#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

In 1961, parliamentary elections were held alongside a referendum on the monarchy of Mwami Kigeri V. MDR-Parmehutu won 35 of the 44 seats in the Legislative Assembly, whilst the referendum saw the end of the monarchy.
Kayimbanda became President and...

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

in July 1962 Rwanda got its independence. In 1965 MDR was the only legal political party in the country and won all the 47 National Assembly seats and Kayibanda then run unopposed to the presidency.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

Under the Parmehutu rule Tutsis were severely discriminated against, persecuted and repeatedly massacred, leading to hundreds of thousands of Tutsi fleeing the country. In 1961 there were killings as they killed men and youth spearing women and children.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

The reason I said this is because my grand pa was killed in the eyes of my father and after all these years it hurts.

The 1963 Tutsi massacres were described by Bertrand Russell as the worst since the Holocaust in 1967 another 20,000 Tutsi were killed.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

By 1969 other tutsis were killed and then at the downfall of Kayibanda's regime in 1973 other tutsis were killed.
Here is a thing Kayibanda identified himself as umunyenduga and other ministers while majority of the then army were from Bugoyi as abakiga.....

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

This was done by Belgians as a way to protect their ideology by saying (People from the southern part of Rwanda are so much mixed meaning tutsi and hutu are % intermarried so the military should be given to the northern hutus because they have less % so they..

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

were the right candidates to protect the hutu manifesto/ revolution as they didn't intermarry with tutsis).
So by this they were many in the army (Bakiga) while in politics (Nduga) were dominants and as tutsis were killed as they used to do it

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

And this brought some misunderstandings or conflicts between them and Kayibanda in 1973 knew there was a coup against him but diidn't know when and he could always talk about it until he was providing a speech in the stadium and power was cut off purposefully...

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

to disrupt him and cause nuisance. On 5th July 1973 in a cabinet meeting, Habyarimana Juvenal wasn't around and Kayibanda called him to come and in that time the coup was done and they arrested all ministers. The Coup was called "11 Camarades du 5 Juillet 1973"

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

The Coup was done by the following according to their ranks...
1. Maj Gen Habyarimana
2. Lt Col Kanyarengwe Alexis
3. Major Sekarije Aloys
4. Major Benda Sabin
5. Major Ruhashya Epimaque
6. Major Gahimana Fabien
7. Major Munyandekwe
8. Major Serubuga Laurent

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

9. Major Buregeya Bonaventure
10. Major Ntibitura Bonaventure
11. Major Simba Aloys

Those are the ones that signed on a communique announcing the coup. The members of cabinet of Kayibanda were imprisoned& assassinated. Kayibanda
died in 1976 in his imprisonment
#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

So Habyarimana and his men while planning the coup, used to move in schools either secondary, primary and behind tell students to attack tutsis and beat them in order when they do the coup they will show the population that Kayibanda's regime was weak...

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

And Kayibanda would define those acts of aggression against Tutsis as act of the majority who were angry...etc but he didn't know it would be used against him in a soon future.
Again there was massive arrests and massacre of Tutsis in 1973. And there was another

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

flee of Tutsis. Habyarimana seize power promising restoration of peace. He founded in 1975 his political party MRND (Mouvement républicain national pour la démocratie et le développement) on 5th July 1975 after exactly 2 years of Kayibanda coup... which later

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

became Mouvement Révolutionaire National pour le Développement, the sole party till 1990s.
As earlier in Kayibanda's regime Tutsis were given 10% of seats in schools, universities and jobs as they called it "iringaniza" translated like equalization or....

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

Balancing. By here a tutsi wouldn't study if there is a hutu child who wants to study either at some places the 10% wasn't respected tho it shouldn't have happened at the first place and this happened everywhere in schools, universities and jobs.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

In those periods there were some types of documents (internal visas) required to bypass from one sector to the other or from one prefecture to the other and tutsis weren't given any most of the times and whenever given they were persecuted in their journeys...

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

In recent testimonies, we heard that local leaders wouldn't give the "good behavior document" as I may call it to any tutsi as by nature they are liars, cruel etc so they don't deserve anything. There are some letters between local leaders to their.....

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

superiors such as today's mayors telling them why they didn't approve someone's document just because they are Tutsis and vice-versa as commands not to give any official document to any tutsi, this was in times of Kayibanda and Habyarimana's regimes (1959-94).

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

During Habyarimana's regime, there was more than ethnic discrimination because it grew to regional discrimination or prefectures such as Byumba, Kibungo, Kigali, Kigali Ngali, Butare, Gikongoro, Cyangugu, Gitarama, Kibuye, Kigali Ville, Gisenyi and Ruhengeri.
#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

So the home of "AKAZU" the close ones to Habyarimana were from Gisenyi, Kibuye and Ruhengeri and as I told you earlier from the quoted tweet they were soldiers to protect the hutu revolution and it grew to such an extent...
https://twitter.com/Nyac_juru_jesse/status/1247952486297677831?s=20

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

https://twitter.com/Nyac_juru_jesse/status/1247952486297677831?s=20

it brought some conflicts even between hutus due to those political propaganda.

As this violence occured to tutsis in the country, those out of Rwanda weren't speared. I will show you some examples across the region from 1959 till the time they decided to...

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

come back home. When tutsis fled to neighboring countries, they were later persecuted and some even changed their names to be citizens of the host countries such as those in Zaire (The Democratic Republic of Congo) mostly, in Uganda and other countries.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

An example was the persecution of Tutsis by Ugandan Pres Milton Apollo Obote in 1966-1971 and again from 1980-1985. So Obote became hostile to Rwandan refugees in Uganda during the 1980s.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

This lead to the foundation of Rwandan Refugees Welfare Association was founded in 1979 in Uganda. Then from 1980 as the Rwandan Alliance for National Unity (RANU). As Obote's regime continued its persecution against Rwandan refugees RANU was forced into...

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

exile in 1981 and relocated in Nairobi/Kenya. In 1982 with Obote authoritarian Ankole districts authorities were issued notices to evict refugees from their homes and camps. Displaced Tutsis tried to cross the border to come back in Rwanda and they were...

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

confined by Habyarimana's regime by closing borders. Some Tutsis then joined Museveni's NRA to fight Obote... and in 1986 Museveni seized Power in Kampala with more than 14 000 soldiers including like 500 Rwandan refugees.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

In 1986 RANU resettled in Kampala and After Museveni's inauguration as president he appointed Rwigema and Kagame as senior officers in the new Ugandan army; #Kagame was the head of military intelligence.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

In 1987 during its convention RANU changed its name to Rwanda Patriotic Front (Front Patriotique Rwandais) and as earlier there were negotiation failures, @rpfinkotanyi decided to have an army wing named RPA (Rwanda Patriotic Army) to force the government...

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

into negotiations in case political and diplomatic ways failed. Remember this was in 1987 and Rwandan refugees had a battle experience in Ugandan Bush war and were militarily trained not like those who were defeated by Kayibanda's regime in 1963 and 1967.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

In 1990 on 1st October, RPA forces lead by Major General Fred Gisa Rwigema launched an attack against Habyarimana's forces [Forces Armees Rwandaise (FAR)] at Kagitumba border in the north east of Rwanda and advanced 60 km (37 mi) into the country.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

Unfortunately Major Gen Fred was killed on the 2nd day on 2nd October 1990 after the launch of the attack which is now known as the Liberation Struggle which lasted for 4 years ending when the RPF-Inkotanyi stopped the #GenocideAgainstTutsi in 1994(1990-1994)

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

After Major Gen Rwigema died, the RPA began to retreat as they did not have needed heavy equipments to face government's forces with heavy weaponry, armored cars and helicopters.
The conventional war was a disadvantage to the RPA.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

On 4/Oct/1990, French president Miterrand sent 300 french troops in Rwanda with a mission to protect french expatriates but with an undercover mission to halt the RPF advancing in what was known as "Opearation Noroit" as Colonel JC Thomann was assigned on 19/10

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

The Elysée in actuality wanted to protect the Rwandan government from the RPF in order to protect
their own economic and foreign business interests within the country and region.
Operation Noroît was successful in increasing FAR's efficiency.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

During the operation, the French participated
militarily by advising the leaders of the FAR and served in their posts. Throughout
the early 90s French officers and troops served as Rwandan auxiliaries, directing
air traffic control even.....

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

participated front-line
combat. Furthermore, they took care of guard the airport and allowing arms to come
into the country, and ensured radio communication.
There were also several witness accounts of the French checking ethnic ID cards at roadblocks,

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

something they were certainly not permitted to conduct as even witnessed by
members of Doctors Without Borders.
after October France supplied Rwanda 60mm, 81mm, and 120mm mortars,
105mm LG1 light artillery guns, Pan hard M3 Armored Personal Carriers,

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

six Frenchmade Gazelle helicopters, spare parts and technical assistance. In the words of
French Ambassador Marlaud, “When you are supposed to advise, you must advise however it is necessary". This shows how french gvt was ready to support Habyarimana's regime

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

On 4-Oct-1990, RPA/F's 9th Battalion captured Nyagatare town. in the evening of that day to 5th, Habyarimana's gvt bombed in Kigali nearby areas saying that the RPF attacked Kigali leading to more than 10 000 tutsis and some opp politicians as......

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

accomplices where more than 2000 never returned.
On the same 5th, 535 Belgian paratroopers along with Zaire Special Presidential Division of pres Mobutu to support Habyarimana's regime.
On 8th Oct after a massive crossfire between RPA and FAR at Kagitumba...

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

FAR killed 1000 Bahima tutsis in Umutara. On 11-13th Oct there was massacre of around 400 tutsis in Kibilira.
On 13th Nov Habyarimana accepted the multi-party policy and ethnicity removal in ID Cards though it was not done.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

On 6th December in 1990, Kangura an anti-tutsi newspaper spread hatred against tutsi it was owned by Hassan Ngeze but sponsored by MRND the then ruling party published "10 Commandments of bahutu"
that ordered/commanded hutus not to have mercy on/at any tutsi.
#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

Back to the RPF side, Major Chris Bunyenyezi& Major Peter Bayingana were killed in late October marking the chaotic period of the RPA. At the time Major #Kagame was in the United States attending the Command& General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth in Kansas

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

As he came back and took command after few weeks of visiting recent and numerous RPA positions ordered a retreat to the Virunga mountains for restructuring and reorganizing the recovery of the army as the place was a military strategic position against attacks

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

This is when he introduced the war from a conventional war to guerrilla war where small scale raids were organised with different purposes and this could lower the FAR's morale as the RPA operated raids and retreat in a second and we are still in 1990.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

January 3rd 1991, RPA changed its warfare methods and attacked different regions Gatuna and Kaniga to cut the FAR supply passage. And all of this happened as RPF was reorganizing its political structures, raising its fundraising in Diaspora and locally, doing military training.

On 7-Jan-1991, many were given a death penalty being accused of being RPF's accomplices as they weren't given a chance to defend themselves, and many of them were killed and there was no trace of them.
After three months of reorganization, then there was an...

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

attack on 23rd Jan 1991, on Ruhengeri town and aimed its prison which lead to the release of many prisoners including Col Lizinde and others were they were given the choice to join the RPF or the gvt side. Those who chose to go back to Kigali at the time...

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

many were executed.
From late Jan to mid March 1991, around 500-1000 Tutsi from Bigogwe were massacred and there is no international community's reaction.

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

In March 1992, there is creation of a hutu extremist party known as Coalition for the Defense of the Republic (CDR) and there were Tutsi massacre in Bugesera by interahamwe and impuzamugambi killing 300 tutsi and 15 000 displaced to schools and churches

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

August 1992, many tutsis in Kibuye Prefecture are massacred.

And in the same year Leon Mugesera who was MRND Vice-Chairman for Gisenyi prefecture.
In a speech given on November 22, 1992 in Rwanda, Mugesera allegedly told 1000 party members that....

#Kwibuka26 #Rwot

"we the people are obliged to take responsibility ourselves and wipe out this scum" and that they should kill Tutsis and dump their bodies into Nyabarongo river directly becoming a shortcut for them to reach Abyssinia their origin, an inflammatory speech.

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Back to the RPF side, by July 1992, all RPA forces had settled in their respective zones. Some mobile forces had settled in the current Burera District, others in the present day Gicumbi District and others in today’s Nyagatare District stretching the....

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sectors of Tabagwe, Karama, Kiyombe, Mukarange, Kivuye and Butaro.

The ceasefire, which was agreed on by both parties to give peace talks between the RPF Inkotanyi and the Government of Rwanda a chance, started sometime in September 1992.

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A military observer group (GOM) was deployed by Organisation of African Unity (OAU) as a neutral Observer Group to man a buffer zone between the RPA and Ex-Far that stretched from Tabagwe (Nyagatare) to Butaro (Burera) as part of ceasefire agreement and

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as a precondition for the peace talks to start, a 20km width zone also known as Zone Tempo in french. GOM was meant to minimize any cross exchange of fire between the two forces, thus breaking ceasefire rules and regulations.

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in July 1992 that the Chairman of the High Command decided to form bigger but stronger eight mobile forces positioned in selected areas of the captured territory.

Formation of larger, oversized and highly mobile battalions and affording them seasoned, battle

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hardened Commanding Officers (COs) who would re-organise them into a formidable army that would engage the Ex-FAR conventionally and if needed to break up into smaller units and revert to mobile guerilla tactics. The RPA had by now acquired enough weaponry...

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captured from the government forces to arm all the oversized battalions in the making.

The following mobile battalions were created out of so many smaller ones:

1. Alpha Mobile Force occupied Miyove, Kivuye, Bungwe, Manyagiro, Gishambashayo, Rubaya,

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Gatuna and deployed up to Ngondore linking up with the 17th Battalion.

2. 59th Mobile force deployed beyond Kivuye in Kirambo and across the Urugezi swamp to Rwerere in the now Burera District and linked up with Charlie Mobile Force

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3. Charlie Mobile Force that deployed in Butaro – Kidaho and Kinyababa areas with foot patrols up to Musanze- Cyanika Road.

4. 101 Mobile Force stationed at Mukarange linked up with 17th Battalion on the right flank at the Ngondore road block

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5. 21 Mobile Force was stationed on the left flank of the 101 Mobile Force and deployed in part of Bwisige and Kinyami

6. Bravo Mobile Force was on the left of 21st Mobile Force and deployed in Kiyombe area, Muhambo, Nyagahita&the surrounding hills of Bwisige.

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7. The 7th Mobile Force was stationed in Karama and controlled Shabana, Nyarurema, Mimuli and Ngarama areas

and

8. 157 Mobile Force was stationed at Tabagwe - Gishuro areas controlled the whole area along the areas of Mabare, Kangoma, Nyabitekeri, Nshuli,

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Rurenge along the Umuvumba river up to Rukomo.

It should be noted that the Chairman of the High Command through the entire liberation struggle kept re-structuring the RPA units to strategically meet the objectives of whichever missions in the offing.

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After 6 months of cessation of fire from July 1992 to February 1993, the RPA was a well-organized, trained& politicized army. It had been organised into a new structure of fewer 8 & stronger self-reliant combined MF. Each unit comprised of 8 companies (coys)

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It was during the Peace Talks negotiation, while at Arusha that Col Theoneste Bagosora, on 20th January 1993 declared an apocalypse, literally meaning to massacre Tutsis. After this infamous declaration, indeed the Tutsis in Kibilira (western Rwanda) started...

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being killed. Bagosora is the architect of the #GenocideAgainstTutsi .
As stated by late Captain (Retired) Ndahiro Logan, The ceasefire was by and large observed although some exchange of fire here and there was not so uncommon between RPA and Ex-Far.....

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the massacre of Tutsis in Kibilira (western Rwanda) caused an attack on 8th Feb 1993 which gave a military lesson to Habyarimana's forces and brought them to the negotiating table they didn't care about.
The lesson was in form of a sudden, lightening attack...

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on the unsuspecting Ex-Far by crossing the Demilitarized Zone (buffer zone) and attacking them far behind their defenses, this order was for all mobile forces to swing into action and give the Ex-Far a damn lesson.
RPA troops movements started on 6-7th Feb 1993
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The attack was acted to all the Northern part of the country halting and cutting supply routes for Far and the stop was at Shyorongi around 50km from the Capital. Where by the Chief of High Command ordered a full retreat to previous positions before the attack

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Some cutting Musanze-Rubavu roads for example Charlie Mobile Force (MF) while like 59th MF cut Cyanika-Musanze road and been given to 157th as 59th marched to support Alpha MF and set up a road block to Musanze-Kigali road.

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Other MFs were in confrontation with Ex-Far in Demilitarized zone and other areas. On 17th March 1993 all RPA forces withdrew en mass. All the forces went back to their original defenses before the attack. Late Savimbi, on hearing this news of our withdraw;

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wondered over BBC how a guerrilla force can surrender its captured territory just like that? Some of us shared his argument altho we had to pull back anyway (Said by late retired Cpt Ndahiro Logan). The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was enlarged about 15km in width

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On 8th March 1993 there was a International report release showing the implication and the role of the then presidential bureau in the massacre of tutsis of bagogwe in Gisenyi and Ruhengeri prefectures.

On 7th April same year, the government denied everything

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included in the released Report on 8th March.

In August there was the beginning of hatred speeches being broadcasted on RTLM (Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines)

On 4th August in Arusha, Tanzania, peace and power-sharing agreements are signed with...

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the supposition they will end the war. In Oct., the UN Security Council Resolution 872 creates UNAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission in Rwanda), composed of 2,500 peacekeepers and military observers. Two months later, the French troops of Operation

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Noroit leave Rwanda, giving way to UNAMIR.
And tho they had signed the Arusha accord in August, the Gvt kept training interahamwe, impuzamugambi and other milicia groups to carry the planned genocide against tutsi.

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28th Dec 1993, The 3rd Battalion of 600 RPA Soldiers also known as RUKAGA went in CND accompanied RPF Politicians to participate in the Broad-Based Transitional Government (BBTG) and the five political parties that had in anticipation of general elections.

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In the next tweets we are about to see how the #GenocideAgainstTutsi was planned in years between 1990-1994 as released by CNLG (National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide) according to months Jan to Feb or from March to April. These are few from the many evidences...

Some key activities that marked the date of 6-12th Jan 1990-1994 in preparation of the #GenocideAgainstTutsi
- 30th Oct 1991
- 8th Jan 1992
- 9th Jan 1993 later creation of AMASASU in FAR
- 8th Jan 1994
- 12th Jan 1994

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