PARMEHUTU's rise to power edit
New paragraph edit
Although the 1959 violence and Logiest's installation of new local administrators saw a decisive shift in power toward the Hutu, there was no single person or party in control.[1] Gitera, Aloys Munyangaju and APROSOMA continued to dominate in the south, Kayibanda and Mbonyumutwa controlled the central areas, while Balthazar Bicamumpaka was the leader in the north.[1] UNAR also retained some strength. In January 1960 it had the largest membership count of any party, with 7,000, a number which increased to 25,000 by June.[2]
Existing text edit
The period following Rudahigwa's death in July 1959, and the subsequent Tutsi "coup" against the Belgians, saw PARMEHUTU gain a decisive lead in popularity over Joseph Gitera's APROSOMA, as well as the Tutsi UNAR.[3] APROSOMA favoured an inclusive approach to Rwandan nationalism, at a time when authoritarian Tutsi rule was fuelling the anti-Tutsi sentiment among the Hutu.[3] PARMEHUTU's ascendancy was further enhanced following the November violence, when Guy Logiest appointed interim leaders primarily from that party, allowing them to set the agenda and control the administration of the forthcoming elections.[4] Despite this, PARMEHUTU claimed it still needed more time for the Hutu people to become "sufficiently emancipated to defend their rights effectively",[2] and successfully lobbied the Belgians to postpone the communal elections scheduled for January 1960.[1] The elections were rescheduled for June of that year.[1] In March 1960, a United Nations delegation visited Rwanda to assess the country's progress towards independence.[1] The major political parties encouraged street demonstrations, which deteriorated into fresh outbreaks of violence, during the UN visit.[2] Tutsi homes were burnt in view of the delegation,[2] leading them to declare in April that Belgian plans for June elections were unworkable.[2] Instead, they proposed a roundtable discussion involving all four political parties to end the violence.[5]
Despite the UN suggestion to postpone the elections, Belgian authorities pressed ahead and they were held in June and July.[6] The result was an overwhelming victory for PARMEHUTU, which took 160 of 229 seats;[7] Tutsi parties controlled only 19.[6] The communal authorities immediately took local power from the traditional chiefs; many implemented feudal policies similar to that of the Tutsi elite, but favouring Hutu rather than Tutsi.[6] Although after the elections Guy Logiest announced that "the revolution is over",[6] tensions remained high and local massacres of Tutsi continued throughout 1960 and 1961.[6] King Kigeli, living under virtual arrest in southern Rwanda,[8] fled the country in July 1960[9] and lived for several decades in locations across East Africa before settling in the United States.[9]
- ^ a b c d e Carney 2013, p. 135.
- ^ a b c d e Carney 2013, p. 136.
- ^ a b Mamdani 2005, p. 123.
- ^ Mamdani 2005, p. 124.
- ^ Melvern 2000, p. 14.
- ^ a b c d e Prunier 1999, p. 52.
- ^ Prunier 1999, p. 51.
- ^ Prunier 1999, p. 54.
- ^ a b Sabar 2013.