Félicien Gatabazi

Félicien Gatabazi (died 21 February 1994) was a Rwandan politician who was killed in the lead-up to the Rwandan genocide. At the time of his death he was secretary general of the Social Democratic Party^[1] and served as Minister of Public Works and Energy.^[2]

Career

Gatabazi had served in the government of President Juvénal Habyarimana in the 1970s and he was dismissed in a cabinet reshuffle on 8 January 1984. In 1992, Gatabazi's Social Democratic Party entered government and Gatabazi became minister in the cabinet of Dismas Nsengiyaremye.^[3]

Gatabazi was perceived to be a moderate Hutu.^[4]

Death

After returning home from a political meeting Gatabazi was shot and killed in Kigali.^[5]

Shortly after Gatabazi's death an angry crowd killed Martin Bucyana, president of the Coalition for the Defence of the Republic, in Butare, hometown of Gatabazi.^[5]

References

1. Veronique Kiesel (25 February 1994). "Le ministre Rwandais assassiné a ete enterre dans le calme a Butare, qui a tué Felicién Gatabazi lundi soir" (in French). Le Soir. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
2. "Rwanda : information indiquant si Félicien Gatabazi, président du Parti social démocrate (PSD), a été tué le 21 février 1994 par la milice du Front patriotique rwandais (FPR-Inkotanyi); dans le cas contraire, la date et les auteurs de ce meurtre" (in French). Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. 25 May 2001. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
3. André Guichaoua; Don E. Webster; Scott Straus (1 December 2015). From War to Genocide: Criminal Politics in Rwanda, 1990–1994. University of Wisconsin Pres. pp. 108–. ISBN 978-0-299-29820-3.
4. Fred Grünfeld; Anke Huijboom (23 May 2007). The Failure to Prevent Genocide in Rwanda: The Role of Bystanders. BRILL. pp. 119–. ISBN 978-90-474-3131-2.
5. Lindsey Hilsum (23 February 1994). "Rwanda tribal rampage feared after two politicians are killed". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2016.