Pierre-Célestin Rwigema
Encyclopedia
Pierre-Célestin Rwigema is a Rwanda
n politician. He was Prime Minister of Rwanda
from 1995–2000 and Education Minister from 1994-1995. When he was sworn in as Prime Minister he pledged to reunite his then ethnically torn country. In 2001, he was accused of alleged involvement in the Rwandan Genocide
and had an arrest warrant issued for him by the Rwandan government. These charges were brought against him after his resignation as Prime Minister, when he fled to the United States to seek political asylum. At the time of the accusation, he was studying towards a Master's degree in Business Administration at Bowling Green State University
in Ohio
, United States
. It has been reported that these charges may have been politically motivated. According to Joseph Sebarenzi
, a Tutsi and former speaker of the national assembly from 1997 to 2000, in his newly published memoir "God Sleeps in Rwanda", he says that Rwigema was innocent. As quoted in Sebarenzi's memoir: "Regularly I would hear from friends or on the radio that someone else in Rwanda was being targeted. There was Pierre Celestin Rwigema, the prime minister. He was forced to resign. While I was speaker, we had investigated him for mismanagement and embezzlement. The RPF wanted him out and hoped we would censure him. But our investigation could not prove that he had done anything wrong, so we cleared him. I knew that the RPF would not let that stand. So when I heard that Rwigema had resigned, I was not surprised. He eventually fled to the United States. The government of Rwanda told the U.S. government that he was involved in the genocide and asked that he be arrested. But an immigration judge cleared him". He was eventually proven innocent and granted political asylum by the United States immigration court in Detroit.
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...
n politician. He was Prime Minister of Rwanda
Prime Minister of Rwanda
-List of Prime Ministers of Rwanda:-Affiliations:*Parmehutu - Party of the Hutu Emancipation Movement*MRND - National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development...
from 1995–2000 and Education Minister from 1994-1995. When he was sworn in as Prime Minister he pledged to reunite his then ethnically torn country. In 2001, he was accused of alleged involvement in 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 had an arrest warrant issued for him by the Rwandan government. These charges were brought against him after his resignation as Prime Minister, when he fled to the United States to seek political asylum. At the time of the accusation, he was studying towards a Master's degree in Business Administration at Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It has been reported that these charges may have been politically motivated. According to Joseph Sebarenzi
Joseph Sebarenzi
Joseph Sebarenzi was the former president of the Parliament of Rwanda and a vocal peace advocate.Joseph was educated at Marlboro College. He holds a MA and Honorary Doctorate from this college. Before he entered politics, Joseph worked with civil society organizations in the Democratic Republic of...
, a Tutsi and former speaker of the national assembly from 1997 to 2000, in his newly published memoir "God Sleeps in Rwanda", he says that Rwigema was innocent. As quoted in Sebarenzi's memoir: "Regularly I would hear from friends or on the radio that someone else in Rwanda was being targeted. There was Pierre Celestin Rwigema, the prime minister. He was forced to resign. While I was speaker, we had investigated him for mismanagement and embezzlement. The RPF wanted him out and hoped we would censure him. But our investigation could not prove that he had done anything wrong, so we cleared him. I knew that the RPF would not let that stand. So when I heard that Rwigema had resigned, I was not surprised. He eventually fled to the United States. The government of Rwanda told the U.S. government that he was involved in the genocide and asked that he be arrested. But an immigration judge cleared him". He was eventually proven innocent and granted political asylum by the United States immigration court in Detroit.