On January 28, 1961, in Gitarama (now part of Muhanga City), an event referred to as a coup d’état took place. Joseph Habyarimana Gitera, who was prepared to become the first President of the Republic of Rwanda, was unexpectedly overthrown at the last minute, resulting in Dominique Mbonyumutwa being given power instead.
How Did the Unexpected Overturn Happen?
Senator Dr. Emmanuel Havugimana provided an explanation during the 30th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Muhanga District, particularly honoring the Tutsi victims in Kabgayi.
Born in 1956, Senator Havugimana recounted that on June 30, 1960, while King Kigeli V Ndahindurwa was attending the Independence Day celebrations of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Léopoldville (present-day Kinshasa), the Belgians saw an opportunity to prevent his return to Rwanda. They had been unable to find a way to expel him from Rwanda.
Dr. Havugimana stated, “At that time, the plane carrying the king was denied re-entry into the country, forcing him into exile. He fled from Kinshasa to Bujumbura and later to Dar es Salaam, following the advice of President Nyerere, a friend of King Mutara III Rudahigwa.”
As Rwanda and Burundi were under Belgian mandate, the Union Nationale Rwandaise (UNAR) party opposed the king’s exile, insisting that the king must return.
They asserted that only a decision from the United Nations, which had authority over Rwanda and Burundi as former German colonies placed under Belgian administration after World War I, could justify the king’s removal.
This stance led to a UN General Assembly meeting in September 1960, which decided that the king should return to Rwanda. Fearing severe repercussions upon the king’s return, certain political factions held three major meetings to strategize their response:
- First Meeting: Held in Gisenyi from December 7 to 14, 1960, attended by representatives from PARMEHUTU, APROSOMA, UNAR, and RADER parties, but it yielded no conclusive outcomes.
- Second Meeting: Held in Belgium from January 7 to 12, 1961, attended by Grégoire Kayibanda.
- Third Meeting: Held in Kigali from January 21 to 26, 1961. Senator Dr. Havugimana noted that after this meeting, on January 26, 1961, five men—Grégoire Kayibanda, Anastase Makuza, Maxmillien Niyonzima, Calliope Murindahabi, and Jean Baptiste Rwasibo—met at Kayibanda’s residence in Kavumu, Gitarama, and devised a plan to thwart the UN’s effort to reinstate the king in Rwanda.
This third meeting resolved to establish a complete government, appointing the president from APROSOMA and the prime minister from MDR PARMEHUTU. They devised a strategy for execution, sending Isidore Nzeyimana to inform Joseph Gitera about the decisions made.
Joseph Gitera, founder of APROSOMA, was summoned to prepare for his presidency.
On the day of the inauguration, January 28, 1961, Gitera arrived from Save (in Huye District) with a choir ready to sing and beat drums in celebration.
The voting assembly was held in Gitarama (where the Democratic Stadium once stood) with 2837 out of 3125 invitees in attendance. Rwasibo canvassed the delegates, advocating for Mbonyumutwa Dominique, who ultimately was elected president instead of Gitera.
Consequently, the location of the assembly was named after Mbonyumutwa.
Other key figures elected included Grégoire Kayibanda as Prime Minister, while Gitera was chosen as President of the Parliament, a position he declined.
Senator Dr. Havugimana described this event as a coup d’état because it overturned decisions made by significant Belgian authorities. On February 6, 1961, the Belgians formally recognized the new government established by the coup in Gitarama.
King Kigeli V Ndahindurwa attempted to return from Tanzania in disguise but was discovered upon arrival in Kigali and promptly flown to Bujumbura, Burundi. He did not return to Rwanda until his remains were repatriated on January 15, 2017.
