Rwandan Patriotic Front

Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa, with a population of over 14 million people living in a comparatively tiny territory of 26,338 square kilometers.^[15] Unlike other African countries, the current state of Rwanda was partly based on the Kingdom of Rwanda, governed by a Tutsi monarchy, that existed before European colonization.^[16][17] When the colonialists arrived in Rwanda (Germans 1899–1916 and Belgians 1916–1962), Rwanda lost all political economic and cultural independence.^[18] The colonial rulers chose Rwanda's leaders and set laws in a way that suited their interests. The colonial rulers employed the divide and conquer strategy, spreading the idea that Rwandans came from different places, did not enter the nation as a group, lacked equal intelligence, shouldn't work in the same fields, and should not receive the same education, which increased divisions between Tutsi, Hutu, and Batwa. Rwandans battled for their independence at the beginning of the 1950s, along with other African countries. Since Tutsis made up the majority of those who fought for Rwanda's independence, the Belgians started to propagate the idea that Tutsis were outsiders who had originated in Abyssinia, or modern-day Ethiopia.^[19][20]

The Rwandese Alliance for National Unity (RANU) was created in December 1979 in Nairobi, Kenya by some young Rwandan Tutsi refugee intellectuals, most of whom had grown up in Uganda. The RANU political organization was established to discuss a possible return to Rwanda.^[21] Though primarily a forum for intellectual discussion, it became militant after Milton Obote's election of 1980 resulting in many Tutsi refugees joining Yoweri Museveni in fighting the Ugandan Bush War.^[22] Following the overthrow of Idi Amin in 1979, Obote denounced Museveni's National Resistance Army (NRA) as composed of Banyarwanda. Following this, a failed attempt to force all Rwandan refugees into refugee camps in February 1982 resulted in a massive purge, driving 40,000 refugees back into Rwanda. Rwanda declared that they recognized only 4000 of these as Rwandan nationals, while Uganda declared that they would take back only 1000. The remaining 35,000 were left in a legal limbo along the border region that lasted for years, from where many refugee youths left to join the National Resistance Army.^[23][24]

After the Museveni government was formed in 1986, Fred Rwigema, a Rwandan refugee commander, was appointed Uganda's deputy minister of defense and deputy army commander-in-chief, second only to Museveni in the military chain of command for Uganda.^[25] Paul Kagame was appointed acting chief of military intelligence.^[26] Rwandan refugees formed a large number of NRA officers because they had joined the rebellion early and thus had accumulated more experience. The contributions of the Rwandans in the Ugandan Bush War were immediately recognized by the new government. Six months after taking power, Museveni reversed the decades-old legal regime and declared that Rwandans who had resided in Uganda would be entitled to citizenship after 10 years.^[27] In December 1987, RANU held its seventh congress in Kampala and renamed itself the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF); the new RPF, dominated by Rwandan intellectuals who were in exile from different countries and military officers, was far more strong and ambitious than the original RANU.^[28]

On 1 October 1990, the Rwandan government led by Juvénal Habyarimana with the National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development (MRND) party which was known to rule with pro-Hutu policies, was invaded by the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA), the wing army force of RPF led by Major-General Fred Gisa Rwigema, the starting of the Rwandan Civil War.^[29] The RPA incursion was initially successful, despite the death of Fred Rwigema from a bullet on 2 October.^[30][31] Paul Kagame, who had been doing military studies in the United States, returned to take over the RPA. Thereafter the RPA resorted to guerrilla attacks, focusing on the Byumba and Ruhengeri areas, and gained control of much of the north of the country in 1992.^[32] Eventually, negotiations between the RPF and the Rwandan government led to the signing of the Arusha Accords in 1993, resulting in RPF personnel and other refugees being allowed to return to the country.^[33][34]

On 6 April 1994 President Juvénal Habyarimana's plane was shot down near Kigali International Airport, killing him and Cyprien Ntaryamira, the President of Burundi. Responsibility for the assassination has not been conclusively established; it is thought that either Hutu extremists or the RPF carried it out.^[35] The shooting down of the plane served as the catalyst for the Rwandan genocide which began within a few hours. Over approximately 100 days, hundreds of thousands of Tutsi were killed.^[36][37] The RPF with its wing army fought the government and took control of the country. The 1994 Genocide Against Tutsi in Rwanda was completely stopped when Kigali was captured by the RPF wing army on 4^th July.^[38][39]

After the RPF stopped the 1994 Genocide Against Tutsi in Rwanda and took control of the country, in 1994, it formed a government of national unity headed by a president, Pasteur Bizimungu. Paul Kagame became Minister of Defense and Vice-President.^[40] President Bizimungu served for 6 years and resigned from government in 2000, after forming his political party, he was arrested in 2002.^[41] Sentenced to 15 years in prison, he was released with a pardon from President Paul Kagame in 2007.^[42] In February 1998 Kagame was elected president of the RPF, replacing Alexis Kanyarengwe, and in March 2000 he became the national president.^[43]

Following a constitutional referendum in 2003, Paul Kagame was elected president with 95% of the vote. The RPF formed a coalition with several smaller parties, which received 74% of the vote in the 2003 parliamentary elections, winning 40 of the 53 elected seats in the Chamber of Deputies.^[44] The coalition won 42 seats in the 2008 parliamentary elections, and Paul Kagame was re-elected as president in 2010 with 93% of the vote.^[45]The 2013 parliamentary elections saw the RPF-led coalition win 41 seats.^[46] In 2017, Paul Kagame was re-elected for a third term with 98.8 percent of the vote. He was sworn in for another seven-year term on 18 August 2017.^[47]

In the post-genocide era, RPF as a ruling party established Rwanda's national unity and democratic government that continues to challenge itself foremost as a right movement to strive for national unity, democracy, and development.^[48] To achieve these since 2000, RPF chairman and president of Rwanda Paul Kagame, has been elected three times to rule Rwanda consecutively. Under his leadership, the Rwandan government has invented and practiced unique national programs in ensuring self-reliance including Community work (Umuganda) and Gacaca courts.^[49]

Paul Kagame is the current Chairman of the RPF after being re-elected with other members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) during the 16^th party's national congress that met on 2 April 2023. The elected committee is responsible for the day-to-day management of the party activities and will serve a five-year term.^[50][51][52]

• Chairman: Paul Kagame
• Vice-Chairwoman: Consolee Uwimana
• Secretary General: Wellars Gasamagera

• Tito Rutaremara
• Jeanne D'Arc Gakuba
• Abdul Karim Harerimana
• Jean Nepomuscene Sindikubwabo
• Nelly Mukazayire
• Assoumpta Mbarushimana
• Celestin Kabano
• Sandrine Uwimbabazi Maziyateke
• Yves Iradukunda
• Charles Habonimana
• Christelle Kwizera
• Gaspard Twagirayezu
• Marie Rose Mureshyankwano
• Jean Nepo Abdallah Utumatwishima
• Juliana Muganza

RPF still holds the belief that there should be a fundamental shift. It firmly felt that rapprochement among Rwandans was a prerequisite for socioeconomic growth, the establishment of national peace, and the restoration of dignity to every Rwandan.^[53][54]

• Caplan, Gerald (2018). "Rethinking the Rwandan Narrative for the 25th Anniversary". Genocide Studies International. 12 (2): 152–190. doi:10.3138/gsi.12.2.03. S2CID 167056377.
• Reyntjens, Filip (2019). "The Rwandan Patriotic Front's information and communication strategy" (PDF). In Thompson, Allan (ed.). Media and Mass Atrocity: The Rwanda Genocide and Beyond. Centre for International Governance Innovation. pp. 133–155. ISBN 978-1-928096-72-6.
• Purdeková, Andrea; Reyntjens, Filip; Wilén, Nina (2018). "Militarisation of governance after conflict: beyond the rebel-to-ruler frame – the case of Rwanda". Third World Quarterly. 39 (1): 158–174. doi:10.1080/01436597.2017.1369036. hdl:10067/1479870151162165141. S2CID 158329591.
• Reyntjens, Filip (2016). "(Re-)imagining a reluctant post-genocide society: the Rwandan Patriotic Front's ideology and practice". Journal of Genocide Research. 18 (1): 61–81. doi:10.1080/14623528.2016.1120464. hdl:10067/1311820151162165141. S2CID 147287804.
• Chemouni, Benjamin; Mugiraneza, Assumpta (2020). "Ideology and interests in the Rwandan patriotic front: Singing the struggle in pre-genocide Rwanda". African Affairs. 119 (474): 115–140. doi:10.1093/afraf/adz017.
• Makhunga, Lindiwe D. (2019). "Post-genocide Rwanda and discursive construction of legitimacy: contesting seemingly dichtomous political narratives". Social Dynamics. 45 (3): 382–394. doi:10.1080/02533952.2019.1690759. S2CID 213991916.
• Thomson, Susan (2018). Rwanda: From Genocide to Precarious Peace. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-23591-3.
• Reyntjens, Filip (2013). Political Governance in Post-Genocide Rwanda. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-04355-8.
• Ingelaere, Bert (2014). "What's on a peasant's mind? Experiencing RPF state reach and overreach in post-genocide Rwanda (2000–10)". Journal of Eastern African Studies. 8 (2): 214–230. doi:10.1080/17531055.2014.891783. S2CID 144236225.
• Behuria, Pritish (2016). "Centralising rents and dispersing power while pursuing development? Exploring the strategic uses of military firms in Rwanda". Review of African Political Economy. 43 (150): 630–647. doi:10.1080/03056244.2015.1128407. S2CID 155791943.
• Cassimon, Danny; Engelen, Peter-Jan; Reyntjens, Filip (2013). "Rwanda's involvement in Eastern DRC: A criminal real options approach" (PDF). Crime, Law and Social Change. 59 (1): 39–62. doi:10.1007/s10611-012-9397-7. S2CID 145263108.
• Dallaire, Romeo (2004-01-01). Shake Hands With the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda (First Paperback Editioned.). London: Vintage Canada. ISBN 978-0-09-947893-5
• Melvern, Linda(2004-04-17). Conspiracy to Murder: The Rwandan Genocide (First Editioned.). London New York: Verso. ISBN 978-1-85984-588-2.
• Thomson, Susan (2018). Rwanda: From Genocide to Precarious Peace. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-23591-3.
• Melvern, Linda (2000-08-01). A People Betrayed: The Role of the West in Rwanda's Genocide. London New York: Zed Books. ISBN 978-1-85649-830-2
• Campioni, Maddalena; Noack, Patrick, eds. (2012). Rwanda Fast Forward: Social, Economic, Military and Reconciliation Prospects. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-36048-8.
• Melvern, Linda (2020-02-25). Intent to Deceive: Denying the Genocide of the Tutsi. London New York: Verso. ISBN 978-1-78873-328-1.

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