Prince Rwagasore cold case is a ticking bomb for Belgium diplomacy in Burundi
RegionWeek Newsletter Vol III, Issue #129 | Monday, October 12, 2020
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Dear Readers,
On the 13th of October, Burundi remembers the anniversary of the tragic assassination of the hero of the independence of Burundi, Prince Louis Rwagasore which occurred in 1961.
In 2018, for the first time, the Burundian government officially accused Belgium of being responsible for the assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore, risking further deterioration of relations between the two countries.
In a press release, the government spokesperson said that the real sponsor of Rwagasore assassination was the Kingdom of Belgium, a colonial power at the time which was fiercely opposed to the immediate independence of Burundi, and has not yet given an account and the trials conducted in Burundi in 1961, 1962, and 1963 are trials marred by irregularities.
The government announced "plans to set up an ad hoc technical committee to investigate the assassinations (...) of Rwagasore and his family", he adds, referring to his two children who died a few months after his death.
Most historians believe that his death was the result of a conspiracy between the Belgians and the pro-Belgian Christian Democratic Party, one of Rwagasore’s opposing parties. And notes that it is common knowledge in Africa that Belgium played a role in the elimination of Rwagasore.
At present, Burundi is working to learn the truth about what happened in the past, a necessary step to conclude its reconciliation process. Analysts believe that Belgium has a duty to assist it, with a view to reconciling itself with its own past concerning Burundi.
About Prince Louis Rwagasore
Rwagasore was born in the province of Muramvya, the political center of the Burundi Kingdom, the place where all Burundian kings and their families resided. He was the eldest son of Mwami Mwambutsa Bangicirenge, King of the Barundi and he received a good education in one of the most prestigious high schools of Rwanda under Belgian trusteeship. After studies in administration and agronomy in Brussels, where he met students from all over the African continent, Rwagasore returned to his country in 1956 and became a political leader.
Close to Patrice Lumumba and Rudahigwa, Rwagasore came from the lineage of supporters of immediate independence.
Like his Congolese counterpart, he campaigned for the independence of his country. The manifesto of his party, UPRONA, listed as objectives: to fight feudalism, colonialism, and communism. Rwagasore spoke out in favor of an unaligned foreign policy, without privileged relations with the former colonial powers. The leaders of his party were in close contact with the Congolese nationalists.
On October 13, 1961, less than a month after his electoral victory, sixteen days after his appointment as Prime Minister, Louis Rwagasore was shot dead on the terrace of a restaurant. The perpetrator is the Greek national Jean Kageorgis (30 years old). He was hired by another Greek, Michel Iatrou, a wealthy businessman and influential member of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC). Iatrou is "viscerally enemy of Lumumba" and considers Rwagasore as "a future Burundian Lumumba".
The bottom line
Will Belgium have the courage to share the real information about the assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore in the coming years? The truth is the new generation of Burundian leaders won’t compromise on this human right and justice fight that comes straight from history books and archives especially when Belgium is now considered by many as less friendly to Burundi interests and its Peace and reconciliation initiatives.
Thanks for reading
Fabrice Iranzi, RegionWeek.com
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