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Dominique Mbonyumutwa
President of Rwanda
Interim
In office
28 January 1961 – 26 October 1961
Succeeded byGrégoire Kayibanda
Vice President of the Court of Appeals of Rwanda
In office
30 October 1961 – 30 October 1964
Personal details
BornJanuary 1921
Gitarama, Ruanda-Urundi (now Rwanda)[1]
Died26 July 1986(1986-07-26) (aged 65)
Brussels, Belgium[2]
Political partyMDR-Parmehutu
SpouseSophie Mbonyumutwa
ProfessionTeacher

Dominique Mbonyumutwa (January 1921 – 26 July 1986) was a Rwandan politician who served as the interim first President of Rwanda for a period of nine months in 1961, during a transitional phase between the overthrow of the Rwandan monarchy in the Rwandan Revolution and the country's independence. Following an election in October of that year, he was succeeded by Grégoire Kayibanda who became the first elected president of the country following independence.

Career

On 1 November 1959, while serving as a sous-chef (equivalent to a district mayor today) during the Rwandan monarchy period, Mbonyumutwa was assaulted by a group of Rwandan monarchists in Byimana in Southern Province. This incident triggered the "social revolution" of November 1959.[3]

On 28 January 1961, during a people's congress which abolished the Rwandan monarchy and proclaimed that Rwanda became a social republic, Mbonyumutwa was elected its first President and ran the country until the referendum of 25 September 1961 requested by the UN, after which he resigned (on 26.10 in the same year) to let Grégoire Kayibanda run the country cumulating the function of chief of government and President.

Mbonyumutwa exercised the functions of Magistrate first, then Member of Parliament before holding an honorary position as Chancellor of National Orders in the service of the subsequent president Juvenal Habyarimana.[4] until his death on 26 July 1986.

References

  1. ^ Nkundabagenzi, F. (1 June 2010). Rwanda politique: Documents prיsentיs par F. Nkundabagenzi – Centre de recherche et d'information socio-politiques – Google Books. Retrieved 10 January 2012 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Keesing's record of world events – Google Books. 8 April 2008. Retrieved 10 January 2012 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Guichaoua, André (2015). From War to Genocide: Criminal Politics in Rwanda, 1990–1994. University of Wisconsin Press. p. 7. ISBN 9780299298203.
  4. ^ "Présidence de Dominique Mbonyumutwa". www.dominiquembonyumutwa.info. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
Political offices Preceded byKing Kigeri V of Rwanda President of Rwanda 28 January 1961 – 26 October 1961 Succeeded byGrégoire Kayibanda


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