The Abiru (

Kinyarwanda Kinyarwanda, Rwandan or Rwanda, officially known as Ikinyarwanda, is a Bantu language and a dialect of the Rwanda-Rundi language that is spoken in Rwanda and adjacent parts of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda (where there ...

: ''royal ritualists'') are the members of the

privy council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

of the monarchy of Rwanda. They emanate from the earliest pre-colonial Rwandan traditions, and are tied to the monarchy's mythic origins. Due to the mythopoetic nature of accounts of the early history of the Abiru and the Rwandan monarchy, an accurate history of the Abiru is difficult to codify or study. The council as a whole can be described as a priestly body that elects, advises and/or deposes Rwandan kings. Debate continues over the pre-colonial functions of the body, which makes definite statements on the subject speculatory at best. The wider ethnic community that is traditionally expected to provide the membership of the council is also known as the Abiru. Both the council and this community are currently led by Boniface Benzinge.

An Excerpt From The Oral Records Of Rwanda

p.50. Adekunle, Julius O. 2007. Culture and customs of Rwanda. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.

Functions

The Abiru function as advisors to the king in political matters, and may or may not have a political role assigned to them. Their primary function as a group is to determine the continuing suitability of the king in terms of ritual and political function. Historically, the Abiru depose 'unworthy' kings and proclaim successors based on secretive ritual practices, acting as a fons honorum for Rwanda. History of Rwanda. GlobalSecurity.o

/ref> The chairman of the Royal Council of Abiru is the de facto

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

of Rwanda's monarchy; the current incumbent served at the pleasure of Kigeli V, and now serves - along with the rest of the council - the reigning king-in-exile

Emmanuel Bushayija Emmanuel Bushayija (born 20 December 1960) is the titular King of Rwanda. He was proclaimed the ceremonial successor to the royal title ('' Mwami'') on 9 January 2017 under the reign name Yuhi VI. He succeeded his late uncle King Kigeli V and is ...

, who was proclaimed Yuhi VI in 2017. When thought of as an ethnic group, the class of elite families that has provided members of the Royal Council of Abiru for centuries on a hereditary basis is also referred to as ''Abiru''. Although sometimes thought of as being a distinct community, the Abiru are traditionally considered to be part of the wider

Tutsi The Tutsi (), or Abatutsi (), are an ethnic group of the African Great Lakes region. They are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group and the second largest of three main ethnic groups in Rwanda and Burundi (the other two being the largest Bantu ethnic grou ...

ethnicity. A Burundian near-analogue would be the

Ganwa Ganwa is the name for the princely group that traditionally ruled Burundi. They formed a distinct social class that was neither Hutu nor Tutsi The Tutsi (), or Abatutsi (), are an ethnic group of the African Great Lakes region. They are a Bantu-s ...

Famous Abiru

Alexis Kagame Alexis Kagame (15 May 1912 – 2 December 1981) was a Rwandan philosopher, linguist, historian, poet and Catholic priest. His main contributions were in the fields of ethnohistory and "ethnophilosophy" (the study of indigenous philosophical sys ...

* Boniface Benzinge

References

{{Heads of state and government of African states History of Rwanda Rwandan monarchy African traditional governments African nobility

An Excerpt From The Oral Records Of Rwanda

Functions

Famous Abiru

See also

References