Kigels V

Representative of the royal dynasty Abanyiginya - ethnic Tutsi , who ruled the Rwandan lands since the XIV century. The son of the Mwami of Rwanda, Juha V Musinga (1883-1944), who was ousted from the throne by the Belgian colonial administration in 1931, and Queen Musinga Mukashema. He had fourteen brothers and sisters, and he was one of his father's youngest children. When he was 4 years old, his father was exiled by the Belgian government to Mobu, in Congo. After the death of Juhi V in 1944, he returned to Rwanda. As a child, he was baptized into Catholicism with the name of Jean-Baptiste Ndahindurva and throughout his life was a devout Christian.

He was educated at a public school in Astrid in Rwanda and College in Nyangesi in the Belgian Congo. For some time he worked in the Belgian colonial administration.

After the sudden death of the childless elder brother Mutara III Rudahinva, he ascended the throne of Rwanda under the name Kigely V. on July 25, 1959. This decision, adopted by the court aristocracy, was hostilely received by the Belgian colonial authorities. The reign of the new monarch was marked by the growth of interethnic clashes between the Tutsis, who represented the elite of society, and made up the majority of the Hutu population, among which the movement for coming to power and, at the same time, independence from Belgium expanded. In early 1960, the radical party " Parmekhutu ", which defended these ideas, triumphantly won the elections to local authorities.

Soon Kigeli V fled to neighboring Congo . In October of that year, the colonial authorities introduced the post of prime minister, which was taken by the representative of Parmehutu Gregoire Caiibanda . On January 28, 1961, while still in exile, the king was ousted from the throne in a coup organized by the Hutus. Member of Parmehutu Dominic Mbonyutmutva became interim president. As a result of the referendum held in September with the consent of the Belgian authorities, the results of which King Kigeli V did not recognize, a republic was officially proclaimed in Rwanda (about 80% of the voters supported this decision) led by Kaiybanda, and in 1962 it became an independent state. Having returned to the country before the referendum and immediately placed under house arrest, Kigeli V was deported to neighboring Tanganyika following his results.

December 21, 1963 with the help of the troops of Burundi , where at that time the monarchy remained, and the Tutsi emigrants made an unsuccessful attempt to regain power. As a result of the suppression of this attempt by the authorities, a massacre occurred, during which about 10,000 Tutsi were killed.

In the 1960s and 1980s was in exile in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. In 1992, he received political asylum in the United States . After receiving political asylum from the United States, he settled near Washington, where he applied for social security and lived in subsidized housing. He subsequently moved to Oakton County, Virginia.

He was considered a friend of former South African President Nelson Mandela and Congo Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba . He has repeatedly made statements condemning the genocide in Rwanda . He also stated that he was ready to return to Rwanda, but only in the previous status.

He founded the King Kigeli V Charity Fund with the aim of helping his compatriots - Rwandans.

Believer Catholic. He was not married, had no children.

In January 2017, it was announced that Juhi VI would be his successor. Juhi VI is the son of Prince William Bushadzhiyi, as well as the grandson of King Juhi V.

Grand master and sovereign of dynastic awards: the Royal Order of the Drum, the Royal Order of the Crown, the Royal Order of the Crane and the Royal Order of the Lion.

Awarded:

• Grand Cross of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem
• Grand Cross of the Order of Saints of Mauritius and Lazarus
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Immaculate Conception
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Wing of St. Michael
• The Great Chain of the Georgian Royal Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Sacred Chiton of Our Lord Jesus Christ
• Grand Cross of the Order of Solomon
• Grand Cross of the Order of Queen Sheba
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Ethiopia
• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal

• Official site of King Kigeli V
• Rwandan royal heraldry
• KING AND BONIFACIES