Belgian Colony
1918-1962







Rwanda Independent, since 1962



Rwanda was declared independent in 1962. In fact, the Belgians had lost control of the country years earlier, as ethnic fighting had broken out in the 1950es, and the monarchy abolished in 1961.
The new republic suffered under continuing antagonism between the traditionally dominating minority TUTSI (15 %) and the majority HUTU (85 %). The country's recent political history is notoriously instable. Coups (1973), mass emigrations (Tutsis 1962, 1964), civil wars (1990, 1994), massacres (1993, 1994).
When Rwanda became independent in 1962, GREGOIRE KAYIBANDA, head of the PARMEHUTU party, formed the first government. Thousands of Tutsi fealt threatened and left the country. The Hutu-Tutsi conflict dominated Rwandan politics; the exile Tutsi established themselves across the Ugandan border. France aided the Hutu government. In 1994, President JUVENAL HABYARIMANA, a moderate Hutu, was killed; radical Hutus took over government and radical Hutus organized a systematic massacre of Tutsis as well as moderate Hutus, of hitherto unknown proportion. The exile Tutsis, from their base camps in Uganda, invaded and quickly defeated the Hutus; now, many Hutus fled the country into Zaire, where refugee camps such as GOMA were established.





EXTERNAL
FILES 		Articles from Infoplease : Rwanda, Kigali
History of Rwanda, from UPenn, African Studies,
DOCUMENTS Maps of Rwanda, from National Geographic, from CIA World Factbook
Flag of Rwanda, from FOTW
Magazine Articles on the Recent History of Rwanda, from World History Archives
Rwandan banknotes, from Ron Wise's World Paper Money
REFERENCES Article : Ruanda-Urundi, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1963 pp.708-709 (on the year 1962) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1964 p.737 (on the year 1963) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1965 p.721 (on the year 1964) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1966 pp.677-678 (on the year 1965) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1967 p.677 (on the year 1966) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1968 pp.684-685 (on the year 1967) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1969 p.667 (on the year 1968) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1970 pp.674-675 (on the year 1969) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1971 p.656 (on the year 1970) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1972 pp.617-618 (on the year 1971) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1973 p.604 (on the year 1972) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1974 pp.603-604 (on the year 1973) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1975 p.608 (on the year 1974) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1976 pp.605-606 (on the year 1975) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1977 pp.605-606 (on the year 1976) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1978 pp.622-623 (on the year 1977) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1979 pp.613-614 (on the year 1978) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1980 pp.610-611 (on the year 1979) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1981 p.610 (on the year 1980) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1982 p.611 (on the year 1981) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1983 p.606 (on the year 1982) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1984 p.607 (on the year 1983) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1985 pp.472, 767 (on the year 1984) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1986 pp.466, 766 (on the year 1985) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1988 pp.395, 686 (on the year 1987) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1989 pp.395, 686 (on the year 1988) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1990 pp.412, 702 (on the year 1989) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1993 pp.367-368, 702 (on events in 1992) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1994 pp.366, 701 (on events in 1993) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1995 pp.463-464, 701 (on events in 1994) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1970-1971 pp.1271-1272 (data of 1969-1970) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1975-1976 pp.1277-1278 (data of 1974-1975) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1978-1979 pp.1026-1028 (data of 1977-1978) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1980-1981 pp.1026-1028 (data of 1979-1980) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1983-1984 pp.1022-1024 (data of 1982-1983) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1984-1985 pp.1019-1021 (data of 1983-1984) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1985-1986 pp.1021-1024 (data of 1984-1985) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1987-1988 pp.1025-1027 (data of 1986-1987) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1988-1989 pp.1028-1030 (data of 1987-1988) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1989-1990 pp.1040-1042 (data of 1988-1989) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1990-1991 pp.1041-1043 (data of 1989-1990) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1991-1992 pp.1041-1043 (data of 1990-1991) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1992-1993 pp.1129-1131 (data of 1991-1992) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1993-1994 pp.1127-1129 (data of 1992-1993) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1994-1995 pp.1126-1129 (data of 1993-1994) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1995-1996 pp.1118-1121 (data of 1994-1995) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1996-1997 pp.1094-1097 (data of 1995-1996) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1997-1998 pp.1099-1102 (data of 1996-1997) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1998-1999 pp.1194-1197 (data of 1997-1998) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 2000 pp.1137-1142 (data of 1998-1999) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 2001 pp.1300-1304 (data of 1999-2000) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 2002 pp.1354-1358 (data of 2000-2001) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 2003 pp.1353-1357 (data of 2001-2002) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 2004 pp.1358-1362 (data of 2002-2003) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Statesman's Yearbook 2005 pp.1368-1372 (data of 2003-2004) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : The World in Figures 1st ed. 1976 pp.89-90 [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : The World in Figures 2nd ed. 1978 pp.89-90 [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : The World in Figures 4th ed. 1984 pp.88-89 [G]
Entry : Travel Warnings - Rwanda, pp.587-588, in : Countries of the World and their Leaders Yearbook, 2000, Supplement [G]
Entry : Rwanda, Cabinet, p.84; Background Notes, pp.1083-1088, in : Countries of the World and their Leaders Yearbook, 2003 [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Americana Annual 1963 p.584 (on events of 1962) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Americana Annual 1964 p.579 (on events of 1963) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Americana Annual 1965 p.617 (on events of 1964) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Americana Annual 1967 p.595 (on events of 1966) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Americana Annual 1968 p.584 (on events of 1967) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Americana Annual 1969 p.590 (on events of 1968) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Americana Annual 1970 p.595 (on events of 1969) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Americana Annual 1971 p.590 (on events of 1970) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Americana Annual 1972 p.583 (on events of 1971) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Americana Annual 1973 p.586 (on events of 1972) [G]
Article : Rwanda, in : Americana Annual 1993 p.461 (on events of 1992) [G]
Entry : Rwanda, pp.856-861 in : IMF, International Financial Statistics Yearbook 2001 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on October 20th 2006

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