Agathon Rwasa (born 10 January 1964) is a

Burundi Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...

an politician and the leader of the

National Liberation Forces The National Forces of Liberation (french: Forces nationales de libération, or FNL) is a political party and former rebel group in Burundi. An ethnic Hutu group, the party was previously known as the Party for the Liberation of the Hutu People ...

(''Forces pour la Libération Nationale'', FNL). He was a

Hutu The Hutu (), also known as the Abahutu, are a Bantu ethnic or social group which is native to the African Great Lakes region. They mainly live in Rwanda, Burundi and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where they form one of the prin ...

militia leader during the

Burundi Civil War The Burundian Civil War was a civil war in Burundi lasting from 1993 to 2005. The civil war was the result of longstanding ethnic divisions between the Hutu and the Tutsi ethnic groups. The conflict began following the first multi-party electio ...

. Rwasa was reported to be a

born-again Christian Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...

.Young lions of the African Century
, ''

ANC The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...

'', 2004-08-20, accessed on 2007-07-07

Early life and education

Born to Hutu parents in 1964 in Ngozi (North), Rwasa is the seventh child in the family of 14 children. He attended primary and secondary education in his native province. At the age of 20, he was appointed head of the association of young intellectuals. After graduating from the

University of Burundi The University of Burundi (french: Université du Burundi, or UB) is a public university located in Bujumbura, Burundi. Founded in 1964, it comprises eight faculties and five institutes and has a student enrollment of approximately 13,000. It is ...

, he was wanted by the government like most other Hutu intellectuals in the region. He was responsible for the

Gatumba The village of Gatumba lies on the western side of Burundi, near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The place is known for a massacre that took place at a refugee camp connected to the village. Massacre On August 13, 2004, a re ...

massacre that resulted in the killing of 166 members of the

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 ...

minority.

Political career

From a member of the political bureau, he quickly rose to become the leader of the

(FNL). After 20 years in the bush, he returned home in 2008. The FNL has also been accused of using hundreds of

child soldiers Children (defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child as people under the age of 18) have been recruited for participation in military operations and campaigns throughout history and in many cultures. Children in the military, includ ...

, and for killing and maiming women, children and babies. In September 2006 the FNL signed a peace deal with the government. In June 2010, Rwasa went into hiding, claiming he was facing arrest for allegedly destabilising the country following district elections. However, Burundi's attorney general stated that there is no warrant out for Rwasa. In July 2015, he was elected as the deputy speaker of the

Parliament of Burundi The Parliament of Burundi (Kirundi: '' Abashingamateka'') consists of two chambers: *The Senate (Upper Chamber) *The National Assembly (Lower Chamber) See also *Politics of Burundi *List of legislatures by country External linksNational Assembl ...

References

External links

News story on peace process
Living people 1964 births Burundian politicians Hutu people Burundian Christians People of the Burundian Civil War University of Burundi alumni People from Ngozi Province {{Burundi-politician-stub