This government faced the enormous task of rebuilding a nation devastated over the preceding three months, with international experts doubting its ability to recover.
The Government of National Unity comprised 17 ministers: eight from the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), three from the Democratic Republican Movement (MDR), three from the Liberal Party (PL), two from the Social Democratic Party (PSD), and one from the Christian Democratic Party (PDC). Fourteen ministers were sworn in on July 19, with the remaining three joining the next day.
This Government was established based on the Arusha Accords of 1993. Pasteur Bizimungu became President, Paul Kagame served as Vice President and Minister of Defense, while Faustin Twagiramungu was appointed Prime Minister.
At the time, Kagame as Vice President and Minister of Defense cautioned, on the long journey ahead for Rwandans, urging them to work together rather than becoming contented with what had been achieved.
He stated, “Given where we come from and where we are headed, no one should claim that we have completed our mission and sit back thinking all problems are solved. It is time work together as we did in the past, which brought us to where we are today, enabling us to form a government worth leading the country towards development.”
Initially, they faced challenges, with some members like Faustin Twagiramungu and Jean Marie Vianney Ndagijimana leaving early on.
However, the remaining members worked together to restore security and rebuild national unity. Unity and reconciliation became the primary goals. Initiatives were made to promote coexistence among Rwandans and restore trust within the community. Citizens returned from exile, resettling in their homeland and continuing to live peacefully.
Tito Rutaremara, veteran politician and Chairperson of Rwanda Elders’ Advisory Forum, recently told IGIHE that the first goal was to establish security.
“The first priority was to ensure security because the interim government faced threats from Ex-FAR soldiers and Interahamwe militia who had fled to, Tanzania, and Burundi, but mainly to Zaire with their weapons aided by the French,” he said.
With plans to return and overthrow the government, Rutaremara says that people like Bikindi boasted of how the country would be occupied temporarily and then later handover the country back to him and his fellow Genocidaires
But as fate would have it, security was maintained, insurgent groups aiming to reignite genocide were defeated, and refugees returned from abroad.
This was followed by building unity based on restorative justice. These efforts were grounded in discussions held at Urugwiro Village in 1998-1999, which brought together people from all sectors of society to collaboratively create a vision for Rwanda’s development.
Another priority at that moment was promoting democracy, culminating in the 2003 Constitution, which was preceded by reforms in local governance.
Subsequent elections for the president, parliamentarians, and senators were held, leading to the establishment of democratic institutions. These advancements helped the nation rebuild and achieve sustainable development.
The impact of the Government of National Unity is evident 30 years later in areas such as education, health, social welfare, the economy, and infrastructure aimed at development, as well as in national unity.
The recent Rwanda Reconciliation Barometer 2020 revealed that the unity and reconciliation index had reached 94.7%.


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