However, the fall of the First Republic did little to resolve the underlying issues. Juvénal Habyarimana’s regime, which took power after the coup, perpetuated the same destructive ideologies of ethnic division and exclusion.
The consequences of these unresolved issues would become tragically clear in the years that followed, as the nation spiraled toward even deeper devastation.
{{The rise of PARMEHUTU and its internal struggle}}
According to a book dubbed ‘The History of Rwanda’ co-authored by Paul Rutayisire and Deo Byanafashe, the path to the establishment of PARMEHUTU as Rwanda’s ruling party in the 1960s was marked by political battles.
Once the party’s primary goal of securing power for the Hutu was achieved, it lost its direction. By October 23, 1966, PARMEHUTU, which had once been a vibrant political force, had devolved into a de facto one-party system, fully integrated into state structures.
Yet, once the primary opponents to the party, including the Rwandese National Union (UNAR) and the Inyenzi movement were eliminated, cracks began to show.
The party, no longer unified by an external enemy, was consumed by infighting and internal contradictions. The nation’s leadership, once defined by clear objectives, now seemed rudderless.
The power struggles within PARMEHUTU came to the forefront, exposing corruption, regionalism, and a lack of internal discipline.
A report in 1964, commissioned by the President himself, painted a grim picture of the country’s mismanagement: illegal detentions, politicized judicial and administrative systems, and a lack of collaboration between regional authorities. These issues, however, were swept under the rug, as the report was never presented to the National Assembly for debate.
{{Regionalism and the deepening divisions}}
As PARMEHUTU struggled to maintain its grip on power, regional divisions grew sharper. Tensions between the North and South, as well as between provinces like Butare and Gitarama, escalated, revealing deep-rooted regional rivalries.
The government was increasingly dominated by a clique of politicians from Gitarama, where President Kayibanda’s power base was strongest.
By 1972, this concentration of power among a small, loyalist group sparked frustrations, especially among the military, which was largely composed of individuals from the Northern regions.
This concentration of power and exclusion of other regions was further highlighted by Kayibanda’s final government reshuffle in February 1972.
Out of 18 ministers, six were from Gitarama, which made up a third of the cabinet, a stark representation of the growing imbalances that contributed to the regime’s downfall.
{{The massacre of the Tutsi }}
In 1972, President Kayibanda initiated a campaign to rid the country of Tutsis from schools, higher institutions, and public establishments.
This policy was framed as a continuation of the 1959 Revolution’s objectives, which had promised to eliminate Tutsi in Rwanda’s social, political, and economic spheres.
By February 1973, a coordinated effort by the government saw lists of “undesirable” Tutsi civil servants posted on notice boards, and Tutsis were systematically purged from various sectors of society.
This wave of ethnic cleansing, which saw entire families displaced and Tutsi intellectuals targeted, was justified by the government as necessary to address the demographic imbalance between the Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority.
Yet, the real reasons behind the persecution were political. Kayibanda and his inner circle sought to consolidate their power and eliminate any opposition within the Tutsi population.
While the purge targeted Tutsis, it also fractured the unity of PARMEHUTU. The government’s inability to manage the country effectively, paired with widespread dissatisfaction, alienated even Kayibanda’s most loyal supporters.
{{The final blow }}
The political turmoil and sectarian violence finally reached a boiling point in the summer of 1973.
The ongoing internal divisions were a tipping point for the military, particularly the northern officers, who began to resent the Gitarama clique’s stranglehold on power.
On July 5, 1973, the military, led by Defense Minister Juvénal Habyarimana, staged a coup, overthrowing Kayibanda’s government.
The coup was swift. Kayibanda was arrested and removed from power. He and many of his allies were later imprisoned and reportedly starved to death.
By the time the coup occurred, the First Republic had already collapsed under the weight of internal divisions.
However, ethnic divisions persisted under Habyarimana’s leadership, leading to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which was halted by the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF).
