Timeline of Rwandan history

This timeline of Rwandan history is a chronological list of major events related to the human inhabitants of Rwanda.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

## 17th century

[edit]

Year | Date | Event

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17th century |  | Tutsi king Ruganzu Ndori comes to prominence.

## 19th century

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Explorer John Hanning Speke, the first European to visit the area Year | Date | Event

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1858 |  | The area is visited by British explorer John Hanning Speke, the first European to do so.
1884 | 28 March | The Society for German Colonization is formed by Karl Peters in order to acquire German colonial territories in overseas countries. Peters signs treaties with several native chieftains on the mainland opposite Zanzibar.
August | Rwanda becomes a German protectorate.[1]
1885 | 2 April | The German East Africa Company is formed by Karl Peters to govern German East Africa.
1899 |  | Rwanda is incorporated into German East Africa.

## 20th century

[edit]

Third president Juvénal Habyarimana President of Rwanda Paul Kagame Year | Date | Event

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1901 | 23 February | A boundary is agreed between German East Africa and Nyasaland.
1916 |  | Rwanda is occupied by Belgian forces.
1922 | 20 July | Rwanda-Urundi are joined as a League of Nations mandate, governed by Belgium.[1]
1933 |  | All citizens in Rwanda-Urundi are issued with an identity card defining their ethnicity.
1943 |  | Famine affects the region.
1945 |  | Rwanda-Urundi becomes a United Nations Trust Territory.
1957 |  | The Hutu Manifesto is published.
1959 | 24 July | Mwami Mutara III dies.[2]
3 September | The Union Nationale Rwandaise (UNAR) party is formed.[2]
1 November | Politician Dominique Mbonyumutwa is beaten by members of UNAR, leading to a violent backlash that kills thousands of Tutsis.[3]
1960 |  | An election is held.
1961 |  | Rwandans vote to abolish the Tutsi monarchy.
28 January | Dominique Mbonyumutwa becomes provisional President of Rwanda.
1962 | 1 July | Belgium grants Rwanda independence.[1]
26 October | Grégoire Kayibanda becomes the first elected President of Rwanda.
1963 |  | Following a Tutsi guerilla attack from Burundi, an anti-Tutsi backlash kills thousands.
1973 | 5 July | Grégoire Kayibanda is overthrown in a military coup d'état.[4] Juvénal Habyarimana becomes the third President of Rwanda.
1985 | 26 December | American naturalist Dian Fossey is murdered in her Rwandan cabin.[5]
1990 | 1 October | The Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) makes an attack from Uganda, starting the Rwandan Civil War.[6]
1993 | 4 August | The Arusha Accords are signed between President Habyarimana and leaders of the RPF in Arusha, Tanzania, ending the Rwandan Civil War.[7]
1994 | 6 April | President Habyarimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira are assassinated as their aircraft is shot down approaching Kigali. This incident sparks the Rwandan genocide.[1]
8 April | Théodore Sindikubwabo becomes interim President of Rwanda.
3 July | The RPF takes control of Kigali.[1]
19 July | The RPF forms a provisional government[1] and Pasteur Bizimungu becomes President of Rwanda.
21 August | The RPF controls the whole of Rwanda.[1]
8 November | The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is established.[8]
2000 | 24 March | Paul Kagame is selected as interim President of Rwanda.[9]
22 April | Paul Kagame is sworn in as the fourth President of Rwanda.[10]

## 21st century

[edit]

Year  | Date  | Event

|
|

2006 | January  | "Rwanda's 12 provinces are replaced by a smaller number of regions with the aim of creating Decentralised administrative areas."[11]
2007 | 6 April  | Former president Pasteur Bizimungu is released from prison after three years of a fifteen-year sentence, pardoned by President Kagame.[12]
2009 |  | Rwanda becomes part of the Commonwealth of Nations.[11]

## See also

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* Timeline of Kigali
* Chronology of the Rwandan Genocide
* List of years in Rwanda

## References

[edit]

* "Timeline: Rwanda". BBC. 25 February 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2010.

1. ^ a b c d e f g Notholt, Stuart (2008). Fields of Fire: An Atlas of Ethnic Conflict. Troubador Publishing. p. 2.24. ISBN 978-1-906510-47-3.
2. ^ a b Osabu-Kle, Daniel Tetteh (2000). Compatible cultural democracy: the key to development in Africa. University of Toronto Press. p. 220\. ISBN 1-55111-289-2.
3. ^ Cook, Susan E. (2006). Genocide in Cambodia and Rwanda: New Perspectives. Transaction Publishers. p. 174\. ISBN 1-4128-0515-5.
4. ^ Adelman, Howard; Astri Suhrke (2000). The path of a genocide: the Rwanda crisis from Uganda to Zaire. Transaction Publishers. p. 64\. ISBN 0-7658-0768-8.
5. ^ Mongillo, John F.; Zierdt-Warshaw, Linda (2000). Encyclopedia of Environmental Science. University Rochester Press. p. 160\. ISBN 1-57356-147-9.
6. ^ Heo, Uk (2007). "Rwanda (1990–1994)". Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts Since World War II, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 655\. ISBN 978-1-85109-919-1.
7. ^ "Accord Ends 3-Year Civil War in Rwanda", The New York Times, 5 August 1993, retrieved 5 April 2010
8. ^ Boot, Machteld (2002). Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, War Crimes. Intersentia nv. p. 226\. ISBN 90-5095-216-X.
9. ^ Hranjski, Hrvoje (24 March 2000), "Rwanda: Kagame selected as interim president", The Independent, Independent News and Media Limited, retrieved 30 March 2010[dead link]
10. ^ "Rwanda's Kagame sworn in", BBC News, BBC, 22 April 2000, retrieved 20 March 2010
11. ^ a b "Rwanda Profile: Timeline". BBC News. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
12. ^ "Rwanda ex-leader freed from jail", BBC News, BBC, 6 April 2007, retrieved 20 March 2010

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Institut für Afrika-Kunde; Rolf Hofmeier, eds. (1990). "Rwanda". Afrika Jahrbuch 1989 (in German). Germany: Leske + Budrich. doi:10.1007/978-3-322-92639-5. ISBN 978-3-8100-0831-2. OCLC 19093344. "Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft in Afrika südlich der Sahara"
* "Rwanda". Political Chronology of Africa. Political Chronologies of the World. Europa Publications. 2001. p. 344+. ISBN 0203409957.
* Jonas Ewald (2008). "Rwanda". In Andreas Mehler; et al. (eds.). Africa Yearbook: Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara in 2007. Vol. 4\. Koninklijke Brill. pp. 347+. ISBN 978-9004168053. ISSN 1871-2525.
* Susan M. Thomson (2011). "Rwanda". In Andreas Mehler; et al. (eds.). Africa Yearbook: Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara in 2010. Vol. 7\. Koninklijke Brill. pp. 359+. ISBN 9789004205567. ISSN 1871-2525.
* Susan Thomson (2013). "Rwanda". In Andreas Mehler; et al. (eds.). Africa Yearbook: Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara in 2012. Vol. 9\. Koninklijke Brill. p. 351+. ISBN 9789004256002. ISSN 1871-2525.
* Aimable Twagilimana (2016). "Chronology". Historical Dictionary of Rwanda (2nd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-5591-3.

* v
* t
* e

Years in Rwanda (1962–present)

* Pre-1962
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
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* 1982
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* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
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* 1993
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* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
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* 2009
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* 2012
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* 2014
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* 2018
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* 2022
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* 2024
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Rwanda articles

History|

* Timeline
* Origins of Hutu, Tutsi and Twa
* Kingdom of Rwanda
* kings
* German East Africa
* Ruanda-Urundi
* Colonial residents
* Ruzagayura famine
* Rwandan Revolution
* Coup of Gitarama
* Bugesera invasion
* Rwandan Civil War
* Rwandan genocide
* Initial events
* Second Congo War

Geography|

* Cities
* Ecoregions
* Lakes
* National parks
* Volcanoes
* Wildlife

Politics|

* Constitution
* Elections
* Foreign relations
* Human rights
* LGBT rights
* Law enforcement
* Military
* Parliament
* Senate
* Chamber of Deputies
* Decentralization
* Political parties
* President
* Vice President
* Prime Minister

Economy|

* National Bank
* Franc (currency)
* Mining
* Stock Exchange
* Telecommunications
* Tourism
* Transport

Society|

* Demographics
* Education
* Ethnic groups
* Gender equality
* Health
* Healthcare
* Human trafficking
* Prostitution
* Religion
* Water supply and sanitation

Culture|

* Cuisine
* Flag
* Languages
* Literature
* Media
* Music
* Public holidays
* Sport
* Architecture

* Outline
* Index

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Timelines of African countries

North|

* Sudan

West|

* Cape Verde
* Ghana
* Nigeria

Central|

* Gabon

East|

* Burundi
* Kenya
* Rwanda
* Tanzania

South|

* Botswana
* South Africa

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