34 Years ago Today, Rwigyema’s candle burned out
On October 1,1990 over 10,000 National Resistance Army troops invaded the northern part of Rwanda with intentions to oust the then President of the country, Pasteur Bizimungu. and force their return into their country of origin.
This invasion was commanded by Maj.Gen. Fred Gisa Rwigyema. He and his soldiers attacked Rwanda through the border points at both Byumba and Naguma .Sadly on the second day of the invasion, Rwigyema died under mysterious circumstances. Today, October 2,2024,marks 34 years since his fall.
Those who fought alongside him and those he led all refer to him as “god of war” because of his special attributes at the frontlines but who was Rwigyema?
Fred Gisa Rwigema, born Emmanuel Gisa on April 10, 1957, was a prominent Rwandan military officer and the revolutionary founder of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). This political and rebel group was established by Rwandan Tutsi exiles, descendants of those displaced during the 1959 Hutu Revolution.
Born in Gitarama, Rwanda, Rwigema’s family fled to Uganda in 1960 settling in a refugee camp in Nshungerezi after the Rwandan Revolution. After completing high school in 1976, he joined the Front for National Salvation (FRONASA) in Tanzania. This was a rebel group led by Yoweri Museveni and adopted the name Fred Rwigyema. He later fought with FRELIMO rebels in Mozambique against Portuguese colonial rule.
In 1979, he joined the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) and participated in the overthrow of Idi Amin. Rwigyema then joined Museveni’s National Resistance Army (NRA), engaging in the Ugandan Bush War against Milton Obote’s government where he fought alongside future RPF leaders, including Paul Kagame.
After the NRA took power in 1986, Rwigyema became Deputy Minister of Defence, actively participating in military operations against residual forces of the ousted regime. By 1985, he had risen to a significant military leader being commissioned as a Major General alongside Museveni. Known as “Mungu wa vita” (“god of war”), he gained respect for his leadership and integrity in counterinsurgency operations in northern Uganda.
On October 1, 1990, Rwigema led a splinter group of 10,000 NRA troops in an invasion of northern Rwanda, initiating the Rwandan Civil War. He was shot and killed on the second day of the conflict under disputed circumstances; official accounts stated it was a stray bullet while some historians suggest he was killed by a subordinate during a tactical disagreement. His death was kept secret for a month to maintain morale among troops.
Rwigyema is regarded as a national hero in Rwanda and is buried at the Heroes Cemetery in Kigali.
