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July
05

Today in African History

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The Rwandan Coup

In 1973, Major-General Juvénal Habyarimana launched a military coup in Rwanda, overthrowing the government and assuming power. Habyarimana declared himself the country's leader and initiated a campaign to legitimize the...

Celebrated across Africa on this day

1
Moussem of Tan-Tan

Historical Events

5
  • 🏴 1962 Algeria gains independence from France.  🇩🇿 Algeria
  • Juvénal Habyarimana
    🏛️ 1973 🇷🇼 Rwanda
    Major-General Juvénal Habyarimana leads a military coup d’état in Rwanda and names himself the country’s leader. 
  • 🏴 1975 Cape Verde attains independence from Portugal. 🇨🇻 Cape Verde
  • Frederick W.K. Akuffo
    🏛️ 1978 🇬🇭 Ghana
    Lieutenant General Frederick W.K. Akuffo leads a bloodless palace coup against Acheampong, taking over the SMC II and abandoning the UNIGOV proposal.
    The Era of Military Coups in Ghana
  • Rapelang Rabana
    📌 2023 🇧🇼 Botswana
    Appointed Co-CEO of Imagine Worldwide, the child learning nonprofit

Famous Births

3
  • 🌟 1937 Asenath Bole Odaga, a renowned Kenyan writer and the first woman in East Africa to establish and run a publishing house, is born. 🇰🇪 Kenya
  • Mia Couto
    1955 🇲🇿 Mozambique
    Born in Beira, Mozambique
  • 🌟 1972 Matthew Birir, a Kenyan runner, is born. 🇰🇪 Kenya

Famous Deaths

3
  • Tom Mboya
    1930 – 1969 🇰🇪 Kenya
    Kenya’s political leader Tom Mboya is assassinated. 
  • Tom Mboya
    1930 – 1969 🇰🇪 Kenya
    Tom Mboya assassinated outside Chhani's Pharmacy on Government Road in Nairobi, triggering national unrest and deepening ethnic political divisions.
  • Tom Mboya
    1930 – 1969 🇰🇪 Kenya
    Kenya's political leader Tom Mboya is assassinated.

Discover Africa's Rich Past

The Rwandan Coup

The Rwandan Coup

In 1973, Major-General Juvénal Habyarimana launched a military coup in Rwanda, overthrowing the government and assuming power. Habyarimana declared himself the country's leader and initiated a campaign to legitimize the coup as a "bloodless" transition. 
As part of this strategy, he executed 55 individuals who were perceived as threats and then paid off their families to maintain the narrative of a peaceful transition of power.
Among those targeted was President Grégoire Kayibanda, who had held a firm grip on power since Rwanda's independence in 1962. Kayibanda had amended the constitution to declare himself President for Life, sparking discontent among various factions within the country. 
In the aftermath of the coup, Kayibanda and his wife were taken to an undisclosed location, where they were subjected to a slow and deliberate process of starvation, ultimately resulting in their deaths.
These events marked a significant turning point in Rwandan history, as Habyarimana's rise to power set the stage for subsequent political and social dynamics that would ultimately culminate in the tragic Rwandan genocide in 1994.

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