The Rwandese National Union (french: Union nationale rwandaise, UNAR) was a conservative, pro-monarchy political party in Rwanda.

History

Union Nationale Rwandaise (Rwandese National Union), or UNAR, was a conservative Rwandan political party. Founded on 3 September 1959, by

François Rukeba François Rukeba (born 23 April 1912) was a Rwandan politician and rebel leader. Early life François Rukeba was born on 23 April 1912 in Murehe, Ruanda-Urundi. He was considered ethnically Hutu by most Rwandans, though he was of mixed origins. ...

, and strongly supported by King Kigeri V. At the time, Rwanda was still under

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

administration, and UNAR was the leading monarchist party. It called for immediate independence under a hereditary

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 ...

constitutional monarchy.

Michel Rwagasana Michel Rwagasana (1927 – 24 December 1963) was a Rwandan politician who served as secretary general of the Union Nationale Rwandaise (UNAR) and represented Nyanza in the Rwandan Legislative Assembly from 1961 to 1963. Born to Hutu and Tutsi ...

became its secretary general. The party boycotted the 1960 local elections, but participated in the 1961 parliamentary elections, receiving 17% of the vote, winning 7 of the 44 seats in the Legislative Assembly. It joined a coalition government with the victorious

Parmehutu The Party of the Hutu Emancipation Movement (french: Parti du Mouvement de l'Emancipation Hutu, Parmehutu), also known as the Republican Democratic Movement – Parmehutu (''Mouvement démocratique républicain – Parmehutu'', MDR-Parmehutu), w ...

, and was given the cabinet posts responsible for cattle and public health. On 21 December 1963 Rwandan Tutsi exiles from Burundi attacked a military camp in Gako, Bugesera. They then advanced on Kigali before being stopped and defeated by the Rwandan National Guard. The Rwandan regime subsequently moved to purge moderate Hutu politicians and UNAR members. Pierre Claver Karyabwite, vice president of the UNAR youth wing, was tipped off by a local official that UNAR's leadership was to be executed. He drove to Nyamirambo, where UNAR was headquartered and where Rwagasana and party president Joseph Rutsindintwarane lived to warn them of the danger. According to Karyabwite, the two refused to flee. On 23 December the UNAR leaders and moderates were detained and taken to

Ruhengeri Ruhengeri, also known as Musanze or Muhoza, is a city and capital of Musanze District in the Northern Province of Rwanda. Some sources now refer to the city itself as Musanze, after the district in which it lies within. This has to do with the a ...

. Over the course of the night they were tortured and early the following morning they were brought to Nyamagumba hill and executed under the supervision of a Belgian officer, Major Turpin. After the purge, UNAR effectively ceased to exist. Elements of the armed wing continued to carry out attacks until 1967. In 1965 the country became a

one-party state A one-party state, single-party state, one-party system, or single-party system is a type of sovereign state in which only one political party has the right to form the government, usually based on the existing constitution. All other parties ...

under Parmehutu.History
Embassy of Rwanda to the United Kingdom

References

Ruanda-Urundi Conservative parties in Africa Monarchist parties Defunct political parties in Rwanda Political parties established in 1959 Political parties disestablished in 1963 1959 establishments in Rwanda 1963 disestablishments in Rwanda {{Rwanda-stub