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 parents in Ruanda-Urundi, Rwagasana worked for the colonial administration and advised King Mutara III Rudahigwa of Ruanda before cofounding UNAR, a Tutsi-dominated monarchist political party. UNAR lost out to the majority party, Parmehutu led by Rwagasana's cousin Grégoire Kayibanda, but supported the integration of UNAR into a coalition government as the country became independent as the Republic of Rwanda. He was killed in a purge in 1963, and is currently recognized by the Rwandan government as a national hero.

Early life Michel Rwagasana was born in 1927 in Ruhango District, Gitarama Province, Ruanda-Urundi to a Hutu father and Tutsi mother. He attended primary school in Kabgayi from 1945 to 1950, and then studied for an additional five years at the Groupe Scolaire de Astrida in Butare. Graduating with a diploma in administrative assistance, he joined the Belgian colonial administration in January 1950, working in the Native Labor Office in Bujumbura. He married Suzana Nzayire in 1956

Political career

Ideologically, Rwagasana was a nationalist. He acted as a special secretary for King Mutara III Rudahigwa He cofounded the Union Nationale Rwandaise (UNAR), The Rwandan regime subsequently moved to purge moderate Hutu politicians and UNAR members, including Rwagasana.

Rwagasana's last child was born after his death. His wife died in 1988, and one of his sons died in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.