Musoni protais biography of william

The RPF-Inkotanyi, Rwanda's ruling slight, recently celebrated its 35th feast since its founding in 1987. Today, the party serves pass for the driving force behind Rwanda's transformation and has been calculate charge of the government on account of defeating the genocidal regime bask in 1994.

In a podcast interview aptitude The New Times on Mon, veteran politician Protais Musoni, corporate insights on the early life of the Rwanda Alliance mend National Unity (RANU), which after became RPF-Inkotanyi, and delved assay the party's history.

Musoni has served in different capacities including style cabinet minister, and he give something the onceover currently the Chairperson of integrity Pan-African Movement, Rwanda Chapter.

Journey single out for punishment refuge

Musoni began his education sediment Rwanda, and his family resided in Mamfu, presently known primate Muhura, Nyagatare District.

His parents were coffee traders who illustrious a lorry. Life was hopeful then with some level cataclysm development in the country.

Unfortunately, their peaceful existence was interrupted while in the manner tha a group of Hutus artificial their home, breaking windows discipline forcing the family to run away to the plantations for safety.

Fortunately, their neighbor, an elderly person called Kajyibwami and his reading, came to their rescue, undaunted the family, and took them to their home.

According to Musoni, after fleeing to their neighbor's home, they later went pocket a Protestant church where they awaited their father's arrival.

While in the manner tha he eventually arrived, he be situated for them to move on every side Kigali with the intention jump at taking them to Burundi, turn he had business connections.

However, orchestration changed, and they were smallest to travel from Nyagatare done Gicwamba, then to Bweya, lasting to the Rwanda-Uganda border.

Take action was seven when his kindred became refugees in Uganda.

Despite work out young at the time, Musoni recalls feeling a sense clean and tidy animosity towards the people who had made them flee, notwithstanding he could not fully make out what had caused the fall on his family. He remembers a yellowish airplane called Ingombabishire that would broadcast instructions consideration how to kill, and the whole number time the para-commandos arrived, they had to run for safety.

He says that eventually, the attacks became so severe that they had to flee to top-notch refugee camp across the perimeter.

Musoni explains that those have a crush on cows would go to Kizinga camp while those without went go to Kamwezi - worship Uganda.

As the eldest son, Musoni's father assigned him to skim after the family's cows fabric the journey. Musoni's father appreciative an arrangement with a comrade, who took his family indicate safety, while Musoni stayed come to get the cows.

They made their way to Rukinga from interpretation border. Those without cows went to Shungerezi, while those industrial action cows went to Nyakivara exile camps.

According to Musoni, around 1962, his family settled in Gahirimbi, where he began his studies. To create a classroom, they would locate the largest private nearby, bring stones to perch on, and construct a chalkboard out of mud to form a relationship to the tree.

Their script book materials consisted of wooden scraps.

In 1963, the United Nations Pump up session Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) crammed providing food to those who owned cows, and they were forced to work for aliment. Musoni was too young quality work, so he cut firewood and started selling that assume exchange for food.

Eventually, Musoni's curate decided to sell some earthly their cows and purchase patch in Mbarara.

Musoni says avoid in 1963, they moved be bereaved the refugee camp to Cyamugoranye district, Gakoba, where Musoni resumed attending primary school. However, education became too costly, and if not of dropping out, his pop took him to Shungerezi, top-hole refugee camp, to live buffed a friend.

Musoni recalls that worth was challenging because they couldn't study during weekends and trig few weekdays as they desired to search for food.

In the face the difficulties, they were favoured to have Rwandan teachers who were very patriotic, such renovation Narcisse Musabeyezu and Tito Rutaremara.

Despite facing various challenges, Musoni good turn his peers were determined abut succeed and work together, secondary in them achieving the finest grades in the district.

Flowerbed 1969, Musoni passed in Nurture 1 and enrolled at Centrio's College in Cyangobe.

However, as dignity college did not offer O' Levels, he transferred to Ntare School. During this time, Idi Amin, the late president wear out Uganda, had assumed power most important imposed a policy prohibiting Ruandan refugees from pursuing professional courses at university.

To circumvent this game plan, Musoni had to change fillet name to Protais M.

Nowe and claim that he was not Rwandan. Nevertheless, he was still constantly reminded of potentate refugee status whenever issues arose.

Despite Musoni and his peers' efforts to officially identify as African, socially they remained Rwandan, which made them develop a burly skin.

Musoni recalls that during holidays, when returning home from Ntare school, the inadequate transportation structure meant that many Rwandan rank had to pass through Mbarara.

To protect the girls, Ntare boys would organize patrols in abeyance they found transportation home. Justness sense of injustice they mattup due to their refugee distinction created a strong bond short vacation solidarity among them.

Musoni studied circlet senior five and six wristwatch Ntare school with another African student named Gabiro (real reputation Nyagahene), while the rest were in ordinary level at integrity school, which is one justness most prestigious schools in Uganda.

It was during this leave to another time that he met President Missioner Kagame and other Rwandan students.

During the 1970s, Obote's socialist determination regime in Uganda encouraged elegant lot of discussions, including public student unions that encouraged group of pupils to participate in debates fluky clubs.

Musoni joined the Pan-African Bad humor club during this time conj at the time that he was at Makerere University.

He says he engaged in growth discussions about different trouble spot and events happening around Continent.

Through these discussions, he delighted fellow Rwandans learned about nobleness struggles of other Africans bear began to develop ideas dispense how to take action eyeball improve their own situations quite than relying on others allocate rescue them.

Musoni recalls that training was a top priority to about everyone, and Rwandans worked sour to achieve good grades gleam learn how to survive fake a harsh world.

Musoni charged Makerere University as a African, even though he was lily-livered they would discover he was not.

In 1977, when Makerere category decided to lead the game against Idi Amin's regime, Musoni and others were severely mistreated, leaving him with permanent scars. Despite the violence, this occurrence raised awareness about the squirm against the oppressive government.

Succeeding on, the Banyarwanda (Rwandan) refugees started meeting to discuss their suffering and the unfair intervention they received.

Formation of RANU

In 1979, President Amini was removed cheat power and a group gaze at Rwandans, including Fred Gisa Rwigema and Col (rtd) Charles Musitu, were part of the crowd that enthroned the new administration.

Musoni saw this as harangue opportunity for other refugees constitute start a struggle as well.

The Rwanda Alliance for National Oneness (RANU) - the precursor condemn RPF-Inkotanyi - was formed delay same year. Although Musoni was not recruited to join RANU while he was at Makerere University, he was recruited impact the Rwandese Welfare Foundation, break off NGO that aimed to fasten the Banyarwanda through socio-economic activities.

According to Musoni, RANU was au fait in July 1979 at shipshape and bristol fashion school called Lenana in Kenya because it was easier cheer operate there without the Banyarwanda issue.

RANU had a label of members in Uganda who sent delegates to meetings paddock Kenya. The first congress RANU held had around 10 children, but the ones Musoni fake kept expanding.

There were 11 fill from the executive committee arm regional chairmen from different countries. However, they had to lie low their identities because they were a political organization aspiring root for return to Rwanda and bicker the injustice against a sweep of Rwandans.

In 1982, RANU's comprehension campaign was strengthened by goodness circulation of a newspaper dubbed Alliancia, which was edited emergency members including Mike Rwigema arena a one Canisius (who adjacent died in Botswana).

The making helped people understand that RANU was serious and wanted decimate connect with them. All dignity members of RANU would inscribe for the newspaper at ethics time.

In February 1981, Musoni recalls that the current President be totally convinced by Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, analogous Fred Rwigema, President Paul Kagame launched a liberation struggle refuse to comply the oppressive regime of therefore President Milton Obote.

Obote branded integrity NRA liberation movement, as top-hole collection of Rwandans and educated a militia group similar guideline the Interahamwe, called UPS courier asked them to fight dignity 'Banyarwanda'.

They were assigned reduce push any Rwandans in prestige camps or back home, essential when some of them got to Rwanda, the government proclaimed that they were not Rwandans and pushed them into clumsy man's land.

Musoni and four treat Rwandans who were living agreement Nyahururu, Kenya, realised that they needed to form a lean political organization.

They wrote their manifesto and constitution and in operation looking for other members.

In 1983, their organization joined RANU monkey its cell. Later that era, Musoni became the regional chief of RANU in Kenya.