May 5, 2010
Kigali: The family of ex-President Dominique Mbonyumutwa whose tomb has been transferred to another location claims the whole project started with an order from Prime Minister Bernard Makuza, RNA reports.
Source in the Southern Rwanda district of Muhanga say Mbonyumutwa’s body was exhumed Saturday late in the night by yet unknown people from the ‘Democracy Stadium’ just opposite to the offices of the Mayor Ms. Yvonne Mutakwasuku.
Despite fierce protests by the Mbonyumutwa family - basing their arguments on a scheduled court of appeal decision, the Muhanga district Mayor in March issued a 60-day ultimatum to have the tomb moved. The mayor said the space is wanted for redevelopment.
But that is not a position shared by the Mbonyumutwa family. According to Shingiro Mbonyumutwa, the former first son, the transfer of the body to a public cemetery – a few kilometers away, emanates from a Prime Ministerial Order of January 29.
The Order of Prime Minister Bernard Makuza was approved by Cabinet on this same date. According to the order, the stadium in which the Mbonyumutwa tomb was located was to be transferred from a ‘Public Property of Purely Public Domain’ status to ‘Public Property of Private Domain’ status.
The new status essentially reverses a law promulgated by ex-president Juvenal Habyarimana giving the tomb area state guarantee against any removal. Mbonyumutwa died in 1986 and President Habyarimana is said to have granted him a state burial on August 01 the same year, also attending in person.
A legal expert has told RNA that by changing the status of the stadium area gives the government authority to use the property in question as it wishes. The Order by Prime Minister Makuza essentially allows government to repossess the stadium and use to for any developments.
The new status also transfers the responsibility over the Mbonyumutwa tomb by the state to his family, which leaves the state free from any connection to the tomb.
“Rwandan law also stipulates that a tomb can be transferred after 10 years of burial, and since the special status of the Mbonyumutwa tomb had been changed, it brings it to the level of a common citizen,” said the legal expert, who preferred anonymity.
Under the President Habyarimana decree, the state of Rwanda committed to maintain the sanctity of the Mbonyumutwa tomb for all the years to come – making it a national monument. This was brought to an end on Saturday.
Reports from Muhanga district indicate that the new grave of the ex-president can be seen enclosed within metal rods. People can be seen strolling around, occasionally peeping towards the cemetery which is located adjacent to the main Kigali-Muhanga-Huye road.
Muhanga district officials have declined to make any public statements over the matter. The central government has also not commented on the issue.
Former first son, Shingiro Mbonyumutwa lives in Belgium, like many other members of the family. In March, he reportedly wrote to government pleading that the decision be reconsidered.
Mr. Mbonyumutwa's family claimed that the government order contravened an earlier court ruling, which instructed the government to take care of the tomb.
The ex-Rwandan leader became interim president in 1961 when Rwanda gained independence from Belgium. The same place he was buried is where he and other extremist politicians declared the Republic of Rwanda – ending the monarchy.
The Mbonyumutwa tomb was largely forgotten until January 18 this year when embattled opposition politician Ingabire Victoire visited it. The head of the yet-to-be registered United Democratic Forces Inkingi chief had arrived in the country on January 16, when she also made comments which have caused an up-roar.
Available history books accuse the ex-president Mbonyumutwa and his extremist PARMEHUTU party of starting the ethnic policy which culminated into massacres of Tutsis over the years until the 1994 Tutsi Genocide.
Meanwhile, former post Genocide prime Minister and presidential candidate in the 2003 elections Faustin Twagiramungu came out Tuesday against the transfer of the tomb. He accused government in a media statement of trying to do away with the history of the country.
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Rwanda: Ex-President Mbonyumutwa grave moved
History is history and it should be regarded as sacred...There will only be one first president of the Republic of Rwanda, and that's Mbonyumutwa. Whether you agree with the person or not, you have to respect the history and point to his grave as a lesson to future generations or as a hope for what a determine people can achieve.
ReplyDeleteLike it or not the special status of Mbonyumutwa Dominique of bein the first Rwandan President will not change.You can call him an extremist as this has became the breadwinner for Kagame's governemnt, but the history will not change.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, can those Nice,fair,kind Tutsi who are "ruling" the country,tell us how the people on the photo taken on the 28 January 1961 were the "extremist Hutu"(ref"your article). If we can remember, one of them Kayuku Venuste has been cruelly murdered by a group of Tutsi.