King Kigeli V of Rwanda
Encyclopedia
Kigeli V Ndahindurwa was the ruling King
(Mwami
) of Rwanda
from 25 Jul 1959 until 28 Jan 1961. He was born in Kamembe
, Rwanda
. His Christian name is Jean-Baptiste Ndahindurwa.
.
Political instability and tribal conflict grew despite the efforts of King Kigeli Ndahindurwa. An increasingly restive Hutu population, encouraged by the Belgian military, sparked a revolt in November 1959. In 1961, King Kigeli V was in Kinshasa
to meet with Secretary-General of the United Nations
Dag Hammarskjöld
when Dominique Mbonyumutwa
, with the support of the Belgian government, led a coup d'état
that took control of the government. The coup resulted in the 1961 referendum
about the fate of the monarchy. The majority voted against monarchy King Kigeli V was overthrown. He initially fled into exile to Tanganyika
, where he lived in Dar es Salaam
(1961–1962). Then he moved to Nairobi
, Kenya
(1963–1971). He lived also in Kampala, Uganda (1972–1978) and in Nairobi
(1979–1992) and since 1992 he has lived in Washington, D.C.
, United States
.
and lives in Washington, D. C.. He has traveled internationally to speak on behalf of the Rwandan people and repeatedly called for peace and harmony between the different groups. King Kigeli V has continued to remember the victims of the Rwandan Genocide
and makes every attempt to reconcile between all political, ethnic, and religious parties in Rwanda to use the democratic process to solve any disputes. Kigeli is a friend of former South Africa
n president Nelson Mandela
.
King Kigeli V was invited by the Delta Phi Epsilon
Alpha chapter at Georgetown University
and gave a speech, "The Rwanda Genocide: The Most Preventable Tragedy of Our Time".
In an August 2007 BBC
interview, Kigeli expressed an interest in returning to Rwanda if the Rwandan people are prepared to accept him as their constitutional monarch. He said that he had met President Paul Kagame
and that Kagame had told him that he and his family were free to return, but Kigeli said that in order to do so, he needed to know if the people still wanted him to be king. According to Kigeli, Kagame said that he would consult the government about the issue.
, whose mission is to bring humanitarian initiatives on behalf of Rwandese refugees. King Kigeli V awards the Royal Order of the Intare
to individuals.
Orders and decorations received by the King:
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
(Mwami
Mwami
Mwami is the chiefly title in Kirundi and Kinyarwanda, the Congolese Nande and Bashi languages, Luhya in Kenya and various other Bantu languages, such as the Tonga language . The word is usually translated as king...
) of Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
from 25 Jul 1959 until 28 Jan 1961. He was born in Kamembe
Kamembe
Kamembe may refer to:* Kamembe, the industrial and transport heart of Cyangugu in Rwanda.* Kamembe Airport, the main airport of Cyangugu....
, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
. His Christian name is Jean-Baptiste Ndahindurwa.
Education
He received his education at Groupe Scolaire d'Astrida in Rwanda, and at Nyangezi College in the modern-day Democratic Republic of the CongoDemocratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
.
Appointment as King
After King Mutara Rudahigwa died under mysterious circumstances in 1959, he was replaced on the throne by his younger brother Jean-Baptiste Ndahindurwa as King Kigeli V of Rwanda.Political instability and tribal conflict grew despite the efforts of King Kigeli Ndahindurwa. An increasingly restive Hutu population, encouraged by the Belgian military, sparked a revolt in November 1959. In 1961, King Kigeli V was in Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
to meet with Secretary-General of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Dag Hammarskjöld
Dag Hammarskjöld
Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld was a Swedish diplomat, economist, and author. An early Secretary-General of the United Nations, he served from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 1961. He is the only person to have been awarded a posthumous Nobel Peace Prize. Hammarskjöld...
when Dominique Mbonyumutwa
Dominique Mbonyumutwa
Dominique Mbonyumutwa was a Rwandan politician who served as the first and President of Rwanda, from January 28 to October 26, 1961, immediately following the abolition of the Rwandan monarchy. He took over the country after King Kigeri V of Rwanda was overthrown following the 1961 referendum...
, with the support of the Belgian government, led a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
that took control of the government. The coup resulted in the 1961 referendum
Rwandan monarchy referendum, 1961
A referendum on the monarchy was held in Rwanda on 25 September 1961, concurrent with parliamentary elections. The referendum asked two questions; whether the monarchy should be retained after independence the following year, and whether the incumbent, Kigeli V should remain King...
about the fate of the monarchy. The majority voted against monarchy King Kigeli V was overthrown. He initially fled into exile to Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
, where he lived in Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
(1961–1962). Then he moved to Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
(1963–1971). He lived also in Kampala, Uganda (1972–1978) and in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
(1979–1992) and since 1992 he has lived in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Exile
In June 1992, he was granted political asylum by the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and lives in Washington, D. C.. He has traveled internationally to speak on behalf of the Rwandan people and repeatedly called for peace and harmony between the different groups. King Kigeli V has continued to remember the victims of the Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
and makes every attempt to reconcile between all political, ethnic, and religious parties in Rwanda to use the democratic process to solve any disputes. Kigeli is a friend of former South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n president Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
.
King Kigeli V was invited by the Delta Phi Epsilon
Delta Phi Epsilon (professional)
Delta Phi Epsilon is the only national professional foreign service fraternity and sorority. Founded at Georgetown University on January 25, 1920, the society's mission is to promote good fellowship and brotherhood among persons studying or engaged in foreign service...
Alpha chapter at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
and gave a speech, "The Rwanda Genocide: The Most Preventable Tragedy of Our Time".
In an August 2007 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
interview, Kigeli expressed an interest in returning to Rwanda if the Rwandan people are prepared to accept him as their constitutional monarch. He said that he had met President Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame is the sixth and current President of the Republic of Rwanda. He rose to prominence as the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front , whose victory over the incumbent government in July 1994 effectively ended the Rwandan genocide...
and that Kagame had told him that he and his family were free to return, but Kigeli said that in order to do so, he needed to know if the people still wanted him to be king. According to Kigeli, Kagame said that he would consult the government about the issue.
Charity
He currently heads the King Kigeli V FoundationKing Kigeli V Foundation
King Kigeli V Foundation is headed by King Kigeli V of Rwanda and its mission is to keep informed the international community informed about the situation in Rwanda via radio, television, and newspaper interviews and provide charitable and educational purposes for the people of Rwanda and refugees...
, whose mission is to bring humanitarian initiatives on behalf of Rwandese refugees. King Kigeli V awards the Royal Order of the Intare
Royal Order of the Intare
Royal Order of the Intare is the dynastic order of the Rwandan Monarchy. It was founded by King Mutara III of Rwanda. Since 3 January 1998, King Kigeli V of Rwanda has affirmed right to bestow the order on certain individuals that have earned the right to be awarded this prestigious award. The ...
to individuals.
Awards and non-hereditary orders and titles
- King Kigeli V was awarded the Gold Star Award from by the International Strategic Studies AssociationInternational Strategic Studies AssociationThe International Strategic Studies Association describes itself as Washington DC based non-governmental organization with a worldwide membership of professionals involved in national management, particularly in national and international security and strategic policy.-Recipients of ISSA...
for Outstanding Contributions to Strategic Progress Through Humanitarian Achievement for his work for Rwandan refugees in Africa.
Orders and decorations received by the King:
- Grand Cross, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila ViçosaOrder of the Immaculate Conception of Vila ViçosaThe Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa is an dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Braganza, the former Portuguese Royal Family...
(House of BraganzaDuke of BraganzaThe title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Since the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal in 1640, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown was known as the Duke of Braganza and Prince of Brazil until 1822, or...
) - Grand Cross, Order of Saint Michael of the WingOrder of Saint Michael of the WingThe Pontifical, Royal and Distinguished Order of Saint Michael of the Wing is the oldest Portuguese order of knighthood. Unlike many other Portuguese orders, it has not been nationalized as a decoration of the state by the post-1910 Portuguese Republic, and as a result the Duke of Braganza remains...
(House of BraganzaDuke of BraganzaThe title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Since the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal in 1640, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown was known as the Duke of Braganza and Prince of Brazil until 1822, or...
) - Grand Cross, Order of the Queen of Sheba (Imperial House of Ethiopia)
- Grand Cross, Imperial Order of the Star of Honour of the Ethiopian Empire
- Grand Cross, Imperial Order of SolomonOrder of SolomonThe Order of Solomon was an order of knighthood of the Ethiopian Empire.The Solomonic dynasty, the ancient Imperial House of Ethiopia, claims descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, said to have given birth to King Menelik I after her visit to Solomon in Jerusalem.As the Empire's...
of the Ethiopian Empire - Grand Collar, Royal Order of Ismail (Royal House of Egypt)
- Grand Collar, Order of the Tunic of Our Lord Jesus (Royal House of Georgia)
- Grand Cross, Cross of São Tomé, Apostolo by Bishop Abilio Rodas De Souza (Catholic decoration, São Tomé)
- Grand Cross, Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of JerusalemOrder of Saint LazarusThis article concerns the order of knighthood named after Saint Lazarus. For other uses of the name Lazarus, see Lazarus .The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem is an order of chivalry which originated in a leper hospital founded by the Knights Hospitaller in 1098 by the...
- Knight, Most Prestigious Brotherhood of the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Noble City of Lisbon (Portugal)
Quotes
- "The genocide is a result of a loss of respect and culture," he said. "The young people do not respect or listen to their elders - If I am allowed to return, I will encourage intermarriage among the groups so that we can become one people again."
- "A king is like a father to the nation... All the tribes are like his children."
- "My people did not choose to end the monarchy in Rwanda, that was imposed on them by the (Belgians)."
- "To really die for your country you become a hero"; King Kigeli said through his interpreter; "He was most impressed by the King dream for peace and human rights and that is my dream for Rwanda."
- "I’m for everyone. I want every one to be a child of God. I want both sides to have peace."
External links
- Official Website
- Facebook Profile
- Exiled king, U.N. leader to speak about Rwandan genocide
- THE "INGABO Z'UMWAMI" OR ARMY OF THE KING by Human Rights WatchHuman Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
- Rwanda King Kigeli V speaks at CSUN
- King Kigeli visits Delta Phi Epsilon and gave a speech titled "The Rwanda Genocide The Most Preventable Tragedy of Our Time"
- ordenskreuz.com
- Heraldry of the Rwandan Royal House of Abanyiginya