On the surface Rwanda is known for its thousands of green hills ,gorillas and her amazing coffee but has also received considerable international attention due to its 1994 genocide.  The history of conflict and ethnic tension is very complex and lengthy in Rwanda. This history cannot be summed up succinctly although many have tried and still do. Anthropologist, political members and activists have documented Rwanda in terms of culture, ethnic tensions, current challenges as well as trying to understand the many complexities that lie in-between all the discourses.  Yet one topic continues to be under reported on and as discussed in the last ‘Behind the Presidential Curtain’ part one: Why Our King remains in Exile’ we will continue to relate his story here.

The history of the Royal lineage in Rwanda dates back hundreds of years yet many outside of Rwandan culture may not know much at all about this history.  The current exiled King has worked tirelessly to unify his people and continues to do so even though he is thousands of miles from his homeland.

King Kigeli V lives in exile in Washington D.C., he has always said, since his swearing in as the Constitutional monarch of Rwanda in 1959, that monarchists and republicans could live side by side peacefully in Rwanda if he was given his right to reconcile his beloved people.  Over the last few decades he has continued to send a message of hope, peace and reconciliation to his people who are scattered around the world.  In this curtain we will unveil his message of peace and unity in his own words.

INTERVIEW: COLETTE BRAECKMAN, Washington DC:

 “Under what circumstances did you leave Rwanda?

Governor Harroy was relieved from his duties by Colonel Logiest and Colonel Logiest, who was fully empowered, had placed the country in a state of exception, which removed all prerogatives from the King. By presenting Logiest to the King, General Janssens had declared that the all-powerful Colonel could kill, save, and do what he pleased… I then requested authorisation to go to Kinshasa as I intended questioning the Secretary General of the UN, Dag Hammarskjold. After dithering for a long time, Harroy suddenly approved the trip. Beforehand, I had questioned Colonel Logiest asking him why we were arresting people without judging them.

Colonel Logiest reading messages

“It was the Belgians who sent me into exile, not the Hutus.”

With a complete military franchise, Colonel Logiest replied to me, “I am on a mission from my government who sent me here to remove the Tutsis from power and install the Hutus.” He was carrying out orders, it was obvious. I wanted to speak with the UN Secretary General as, with the Belgians, there was no hope. Hammarskjold promised to send me to New York, but the Belgian government, while I was in Kinshasa for a week, made it known that I couldn’t return to Rwanda. It is, therefore, incorrect to say that I was chased out of power by the Hutus. The people that sent me into exile were the Belgians, in 1961, a year before independence. I denounced this situation before the UN General Assembly, but the resolutions seeking my return were never applied.

So, you do not blame the Hutus for your removal?

Absolutely not. The Hutus, at the time, were not against the King, this is why some of them are today advocating my return. What happened, was the Gitarama coup d’état, where the Belgians, Harroy and Logiest, in collaboration with the white fathers, put Grégoire Kayibanda in power. The attacks against the Tutsis were instigated by the Belgians, but the Hutus were not targeting the monarchy. Quite the opposite, if the Tutsis were attacked or chased, it is because the Hutus were made to believe that some noble Tutsis had poisoned Mutara… The people in the country said that the Belgian administrator had given them the order to burn the huts of Tutsis as the Tutsis were the King’s opponents. Everyone can confirm to you that the Hutus were accompanied by Belgian commandos.
Exiled King Demands Role in Bringing Peace to Rwanda

“Washington DC, October 11, 1998: — King Kigeli V, the King of Rwanda who had been exiled by Belgian colonial authorities from his country when he left to ask the United Nations to help win independence for Rwanda, has demanded a role in bringing an end to communal violence and genocide in his country, it was announced today in Washington DC.

King Kigeli, who had originally warned the UN and the Organization for African Unity of the impending genocide in Rwanda in 1994, made the call at the International Strategic Studies Association’s (ISSA) closed-door conference, Strategy’98: The Global Strategic Forum, in Washington DC this past week.

The King said: “I tonight call on General Kagame and his administration to allow my return to Rwanda as King of my People, so that we may put the question of the fate of Rwanda, and the issue of a new constitution which may protect us all, squarely before the population in internationally-supervised plebiscites. General Kagame, as a Rwandan politician and leader who sees the need for reconciliation between all our peoples, can and must put the interests of the entire Rwandan population ahead of short-term political interests.””

In a profound statement during this speech the King stated the following:

“He said: “When the Hutu are in power, the Tutsi live — or die — in fear. When the Tutsi are in power, the Hutu live in fear. In this dilemma of equally unacceptable options, we must search for a better path.”

“I do not seek my return, or the restoration of the Crown, as an end in itself. My sole goal for Rwanda is peace above all,” he said. He also urged the United States and the international community to “stop playing around the edges of the Rwandan problem” and to consult with Rwandan Elders, who know the country best.”

On numerous occasions and remembrances of the Genocide of 1994, the King has sent messages to his “children,” as he calls them. In such messages he asks for unity and peace in Rwanda. The following are such examples of these messages:

In his 2010 New Year’s message the King stated the following:

“It has been more than fifty years since Rwanda has been facing many complex issues. These issues are rooted in interethnic violence, poverty, intolerance endemic diseases, etc. It’s regrettable that these problems have worsened over the years and have culminated in the 1994 genocide.

We should however not lose hope. Days ahead are full of promise: the end of inequality, peaceful coexistence in Rwanda, justice, civic involvement, the return of love for one’s neighbour and the integrity that has always characterized Rwandans.“

In this same address he stated the following in regards to the election that was held that year:

“The year 2010 coincides with the presidential election. This political event is important for all Rwandans. I therefore ask the government of Rwanda and all Rwandans to make sure this election is free, fair, and transparent. This is best way for Rwanda to have the leaders Rwanda deserves.

Fellow Rwandans, I miss you and love you. The time has come for me to return home to Rwanda  in order that we can all  see each other this year in Rwanda. I will continue to do whatever I can to help achieve peace and prosperity in Rwanda.”

During the time of remembrance of the 1994 Genocide in the 16th year the King made, in part, the following statement to his children:

“The tragedy that befell Rwanda left indelible wounds in our collective memory. The loss of our loved ones will remain with us forever. This reminds us our moral obligation to protect every human life.

I insistently ask every Rwandan to work for peace in Rwanda; to live in peace with one another, especially during the times of the genocide’s commemoration; to protect everyone’s human rights; and to love one another so that the horror that happened in Rwanda does not repeat anymore. “

In all of the Kings statements, interviews and publications it is quite obvious that the King is a peaceful man and wishes to return to Rwanda under peaceful means as the King of Rwanda. The King had a conversation with President Paul Kagame in 1996 regarding his return to Rwanda but it was obvious the two could not reach a consensus as to the terms of his return.

The King, as well as many others who live in exile, want for nothing more than to return to Rwanda under peaceful and unifying terms. One has to wonder if this will ever happen is a present day Rwanda under Paul Kagame.

To read more about the King please visit his website here.

Noble Marara edited by Jenniffer Ferlsberg