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His Majesty’s long-term wish during life was to return to Rwanda as the King, a statement he made many times publicly on many radio interviews, including in his last video interview before his death, under the dignity of an anointed king that he was.  This is in accordance with the General Assembly of the United Nations Resolutions number 1580 and 1579 of December 20th, 1960, which calls for, among-st other things, the restoration of His Majesty to the throne.  Multiple previous attempts of His Majesty to return to Rwanda in accordance with these outstanding resolutions of the United Nations were not favorably received by the current government of Rwanda.  Therefore, His Majesty’s burial wishes were to eventually return to Rwanda but not under a government that wasn’t prepared to either abide by these Resolutions of the United Nations or provide the people of Rwanda a vote to determine whether they wished to restore the monarchy.  His Majesty in life expressed multiple desires to serve as a constitutional monarch and not be a politically-active sovereign, akin to the current British parliamentary monarchy model.

Currently, members of the Royal family of Rwanda are divided over whether now is the appropriate time for His Majesty’s body to be returned to Rwanda.  The senior advisers for His Majesty, and some members of the Royal family, feel that the most appropriate course of action is to adhere to His Majesty’s burial wishes, which were expressed to both his Chancellor and members of the Royal Council many times and also written in his last will and testament. Nonetheless, His Majesty’s written statements of his burial wishes, along with three safes and a locked briefcase containing His Majesty’s travel documents from the U.S. State Department, Social Security card, life insurance information, his will, and other documents, were broken into and stolen by members of the family who support returning His Majesty to Rwanda.  Senior advisers to His Majesty believe that this was a deliberate attempt to destroy written evidence of His Majesty’s burial wishes.  The police have been notified of the break-in and theft of these documents, and an investigation is in process.

Some members of the Royal family and His Majesty’s senior advisers remain convinced that His Majesty’s personal burial wishes supersede the wishes of other Royal family members who wish to return the body to Rwanda.  Therefore, an alternative burial site has been found that is both appropriate and a holy resting place for an anointed king who was deeply devout to the Roman Catholic faith.  His Majesty’s body can then be returned to Rwanda at a future date.

But, first, some members of the Royal family and His Majesty’s senior advisers must navigate a lawsuit recently filed and financially supported by the current government of Rwanda.  These members seek the forcible return of His Majesty’s body, against his personal wishes, to Rwanda.  His Majesty’s senior advisers are concerned that His Majesty’s body would not be treated with respect and dignity were it returned to Rwanda at this time.  Given that His Majesty’s historic personal residence in Rwanda was allowed to be sold, demolished, and then made into a parking lot in 2013, little confidence exists that His Majesty’s body would be treated as the former reigning head of state that he was.

Supporters of His Majesty’s final wishes can donate at this website if they wish to help fund the legal defense of His Majesty’s burial outside of Rwanda or assist with his funerary expenses.

A public petition has also been created to allow His Majesty’s burial wishes to be respected and may be viewed at the following site: