Faustin Twagiramungu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Faustin Twagiramungu
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Twagiramungu in 2013
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| 6th Prime Minister of Rwanda | |
| In office 19 July 1994 – 28 August 1995 |
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| President | Pasteur Bizimungu |
| Preceded by | Jean Kambanda |
| Succeeded by | Pierre-Célestin Rwigema |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 August 1945 Gishoma commune, Cyangugu prefecture, Ruanda-Urundi |
| Died | 2 December 2023 (aged 78) Brussels, Belgium |
| Nationality | Rwandan |
| Political party | Rwandan Dream Initiative |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic Forces for Resistance Republican Democratic Movement |
| Spouse | Maria Assumpta Taigga |
| Parents |
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| Residences | Brussels, Belgium |
| Education | McGill University |
Faustin Twagiramungu (born August 14, 1945 – died December 2, 2023) was an important politician from Rwanda. He served as the Prime Minister of Rwanda from 1994 to 1995. He was the first head of government chosen after the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) took control of Kigali, Rwanda's capital city.
However, he soon started to disagree with the RPF's plans and actions. He resigned from his position and was put under house arrest. But he managed to leave the country and moved to Belgium. From there, he continued to speak out against the government led by Paul Kagame. Later, he returned to Rwanda and tried to run for president, but he was not successful.
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Early Life and Education
Twagiramungu was born in the Cyangugu area of Rwanda on August 14, 1945. Even though he was from the Hutu group, he did not like to be defined by his ethnic background. He preferred to be known simply as a Rwandan citizen.
Faustin Twagiramungu was a talented speaker. He could speak several languages, including Kinyarwanda, French, Swahili, and English.
From 1968 to 1976, Twagiramungu lived and studied in Quebec, Canada. During this time, he learned about the Quebec sovereignty movement, which was a movement for Quebec to become independent. He even met René Lévesque, a key leader of that movement. After returning to Rwanda, he started his own business. He ran a transportation company called STIR, which stood for Société des Transports Internationaux au Rwanda.
Political Journey
Twagiramungu became well-known in politics after Rwanda started to become more democratic in 1991. He became the leader of a new political party called the Republican Democratic Movement (MDR).
The MDR party joined a government that included many different parties in April 1992. Another politician from the MDR, Dismas Nsengiyaremye, became the Prime Minister. However, by July 1993, the MDR party split into two groups. Twagiramungu led one group, and Nsengiyaremye led the other. Both wanted to be the Prime Minister in a new government that was being planned.
This new government was called the Broad-Based Transitional Government (BBTG). It was meant to be set up before an important peace agreement, the Arusha Accords, was signed. Even though Twagiramungu's group was not as strong, he got support from other political parties. This helped him to be chosen as the Prime Minister when the Arusha Accords were signed on August 4, 1993. However, this planned government was never actually put in place at that time.
Prime Minister After the Genocide
In July 1994, Twagiramungu finally became Prime Minister. This happened in a "Government of National Unity" that was formed by the RPF after they took power following the Rwandan genocide. His appointment was very meaningful for many Rwandans. He was the son-in-law of Grégoire Kayibanda, a former president.
After becoming Prime Minister, Twagiramungu faced big challenges. He was concerned about problems with human rights that were happening. He believed that some issues might be tolerated at first, but he became worried when the problems seemed to continue without end.
The disagreements within the government grew. Twagiramungu called for a special meeting of ministers to discuss security. This meeting took place in August 1995. On August 28, Twagiramungu decided to resign from his position. Four other ministers were also removed from their jobs the next day. Twagiramungu was then put under house arrest, but he managed to leave Rwanda by the end of that year.
Working Against the Government from Exile
In March 1996, while in Brussels, Belgium, Twagiramungu and another politician named Seth Sendashonga started a new opposition party. This party was called the Democratic Forces for Resistance (FRD). The FRD officially began in April 1997.
Sadly, on May 16, 1998, Sendashonga was killed in Nairobi, Kenya. Twagiramungu strongly spoke out against this murder. He accused the Rwandan government of being responsible. In 2001, a court in Kenya decided that the murder was political and blamed the Rwandan government.
In 1998, the FRD invited four other groups of Rwandans living outside the country to form a larger alliance. This alliance was called the Union of Rwandan Democratic Forces (UFDR). The UFDR wanted to push for a new agreement to share power in Rwanda, similar to the Arusha Accords. Twagiramungu was chosen to be the president of the UFDR from 1998 to 2002.
However, Twagiramungu often worked on his own within the UFDR. This caused some distance between him and other members of his own party, the FRD. He also wasn't very popular with some older politicians from other groups. In December 2001, Twagiramungu resigned from the presidency of the UFDR. He then mostly stepped away from these opposition groups.
On December 10, 2002, Twagiramungu announced that he would run for president in the 2003 Rwandan presidential election. He promised to work for full employment, better security in the region, and fair taxes. He said that the government was trying to stop him from sharing his ideas. He had to run as an independent candidate because his political party, the MDR, was not allowed to operate.
In the election, he came in second place with 3.62 percent of the votes. He did not accept the results. He claimed that Paul Kagame was leading Rwanda towards a system where only one party had power. Many international observers also said that the elections were not fair. Twagiramungu left Rwanda right after the election because he was worried he might be arrested.
Faustin Twagiramungu passed away in Brussels, Belgium, on December 2, 2023. He was 78 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Faustin Twagiramungu para niños
