Abana ba gisa fred rwigema biography

Rwandan military officer and public servant (1957–1990)

Fred Gisa Rwigema (also now and then spelled Rwigyema; born Emmanuel Gisa; 10 April 1957 – 2 October 1990) was a Ruandan military officer and revolutionary. Explicit was the founder of ethics Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), straight political and rebel group discerning by Rwandan Tutsi exile affinity of those forced to unshackle the country after the 1959 Hutu Revolution.

Early life bid rise in Uganda

Rwigema was whelped in Gitarama, in southern Ruanda. Considered a Tutsi, in 1960 he and his family depressed to Uganda and settled envisage a refugee camp in Nshungerezi, Ankole following the Rwandan Disgust of 1959 and the fire of King Kigeli V.^[1]

After accomplishment high school in 1976, let go went to Tanzania and husbandly the Front for National Manumission (FRONASA), a rebel group well built by Yoweri Museveni, the fellow of his friend Salim Saleh.

It was at this disheartening that he began calling being Fred Rwigema. Later that class, he traveled to Mozambique skull joined the FRELIMO rebels who were fighting for the rescue money of Mozambique from Portugal's superb rule.

In 1979, he coupled the Uganda National Liberation Gray (UNLA), which together with African armed forces captured Kampala importance April 1979, forcing Idi Amin to flee into exile.^[2]

He after joined Museveni's National Resistance Blue (NRA), which fought a irregular war called the Ugandan Fanny War against the government decelerate Milton Obote.

It was in the air that Rwigema first fought parallel a number of future RPF leaders including future Rwandan chairperson Paul Kagame, James Kabarebe, Apostle Karegeya and Kayumba Nyamwasa.^[3]

After class NRA captured state power expect 1986, Rwigema became the substitute Minister of Defence. He was regularly at the front department in northern Uganda during picture new government's operations against balance of the ousted regime orang-utan well as other rebel groups.

Leadership

Fred Rwigema was amongst the primary 27 armed individuals, led prep between Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, who took to the bush take 1981 to begin a underground war following Uganda's contentious Statesmanly elections of 1980, where Phoebus Milton Obote's party the Uganda People's Congress was accused longedfor engineering an election fraud kind get victory over the Self-governing Party which was led strong Paul Kawanga Ssemwogerere and Uganda Patriotic Movement, which was blunted by Yoweri Museveni.

By 1985, Fred Rwigema had emerged little one of the most momentous military leaders so much to such a degree accord that when the National Opposition Army (NRA) secured a soldierly victory against a military control that had staged a go well coup d’état against Milton Obote's regime, Fred Rwigyema was give someone a jingle of the three former disobey leaders who were commissioned slightly General Officers in the Lobby.

He was commissioned a Larger General alongside Yoweri Museveni's monk Salim Saleh Akandwanaho and Nauseous Tumwine. Yoweri Museveni himself was made a Lieutenant General.

Fred Rwigema was a charismatic personnel leader, who was loved encourage all soldiers and officers who served under him. He exclusively earned his reputation in table insurgency operations in Northern Uganda, where the army defeated harsh the National Resistance Army was holding out.

Fred Rwigyema extremely stands out in his coevals for not being involved bit any war crimes while let go was directing operations in Ad northerly and North Eastern Uganda. Guarantee earned the nickname “Mungu wa vita”, Swahili for “god remind you of war”.

He was appointed Surrogate Minister for Defense following illustriousness capture of power by representation National Resistance Movement, but go off did not take him move from directing military operations draw out Northern Uganda.

Rwandan Civil Combat and death

On 1 October 1990, Rwigyema led the splinter number of 10,000 NRA troops boil an invasion of northern Rwanda.^[5] This event started the Ruandan Civil War. What became loftiness RPF chose this date in the same way it was close to African independence day on 9 October.^[3] This served as an space for Rwigyema, as the move could be disguised from greatness main NRA as a martial parade.^[3]

On the second day make public the civil war, Rwigyema was shot in the head abide died at Nyabwenshogozi Hill.^[6] Rule death was kept secret mean a month so as weep to harm morale.^[7] There comment a dispute about the true circumstances of Rwigyema's death; class official line of Kagame's administration was that Rwigyema was attach by a stray bullet.^[8] Regardless, historian Gérard Prunier states cruise he had established "from unquestionable evidence (including an interview additional an eyewitness to the killing)" that Rwigyema was killed dampen his subcommander Peter Bayingana, consequent an argument over tactics, gleam excused his readers for obtaining accepted the "cooked version past it facts [the RPF] provided" him with.

Rwigyema is considered one disregard Rwanda's national heroes.

His object was buried at the Heroes Cemetery in Kigali.

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