MULINDI - The battle to liberate Rwanda by RPF/A would have failed had President Paul Kagame not been in charge, RDF’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen James Kabarebe has said.

Addressing journalists at Mulindi, Northern Province which served as the former RPF/A military base, Kabarebe said there was nobody else to re-organise soldiers after the October 2 1990 setback.

The setback was mainly caused by the death of the first RPF/A commander; Fred Rwigema who was killed by a stray enemy bullet at Nyabwishongwezi just to a day after the attack.

He said that had President Kagame participated in the first attack on October 1, 1990 RPF would not have suffered heavy casualties.

On October 23, Majors Chris Bunyenyezi and Peter Bayigana, both senior commanders, died in an enemy ambush around Lyabega.

"The truth must be told. Nobody should lie to you that we had another person like President Kagame,” Kabarebe said, adding "this is what I believe and also the army’s position.”

He remembered those who died during the struggle with nostalgia.  He, however, said RPF members who died in the liberation struggle did not die for nothing.

General Kabarebe said since the RPF/A took power fifteen years ago, the country has made tremendous progress.

He revealed that the existence and survival of RPF depended on Kagame throughout the struggle. "He was the only one who had courage to confront the enemy.”

Kabarebe added that after the struggle, the President has been able to put a system in place to nurture future leaders.

During the tour that took place on Sunday, Kabarebe recalled the evening of April 6, 1994 when the news of former president Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane crash filtered through.

That evening, he recalled, RPF/A members were watching African Cup of Nations semi finals at Mulindi headquarters.

General Kabarebe, who was then President Kagame personal assistant heard the news and informed the President.

"The President asked me three times if the story was true,” Kabarebe went on. Then General Kabarebe went back to confirm whether the information was accurate.

"But I was very worried now. Suppose I had lied to him. But later, Lt Gen. Charles Kayonga based at CND in Kigali confirmed the story.”

Kayonga, who is now the Army Chief of Staff at RDF, was then heading the military contingent that had been dispatched to Kigali as a protection force for RPF politicians who were in Kigali to join the broad-base government under the Arusha Peace Accord.

Kagame then convened an impromptu meeting with RPF/A leaders and on April 7 "we started the journey to Kigali.”

According to Maj Gen Caesar Kayizari, another former RPA officer, the then rebels attacked Kagitumba because it was poorly guarded.

He said they also wanted to secure the border areas of Tanzania and Burundi to give opportunity to other Rwandans who wanted to join the struggle from these countries to do so.

Maj. Gen. Kayizari says the news about Late Rwigema’s death hit everybody like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky.

"I learnt it on October 3, 1990 a day after his death. A colleague informed us,” Kayizari said.

He revealed that about seventy members of RPF/A now RDF participated in the first attack at Gagitumba entry point and later others joined.

Chronology of liberation events
1990 -October 1: RPF/A attack of Kagitumba
October 2:   Death of Fred Rwigema at Nyabwishongwezi by an enemy stray bullet.
October 4: French military intervention
October 4: Capture of Nyagatare by 9th Bn of RPA
October 5: Belgian (535 troops) and Zairian intervention

October 6-7: Capture of Gabiro by 4th Bn army

October 23: Deaths of Maj. Bunyenyezi and Maj. Bayingana in enemy ambushes around Lyabega.

1991 January 3: Gatuna-Kaniga attack by RPA to change the tactics and block the main government supply route to show its persistence.

January 7: Judgment of alleged RPF/A accomplices in Kigali. Death penalty for some was pronounced.
January 23: Ruhengeri attack by RPA to liberate prisoners.

May- RPA offensive takes over some more communes.

1993 -February 8. RPA attack (and retreat later) to make people understand its claims about the massacres of the Tutsi in different places.

April 7 The Rwandan government acknowledges the report but denied both the existence of 'death squads' and explained that some of these incidents were planned in advance

August 4 Arusha Peace Accord (imposed on both sides). Rwandan Government got enough time to prepare the genocide (training of Interahamwe, Impuzamugambi militias).

-December 28. RPF 3rd Bn arrives in Kigali (CND) to form the broad-based transitional government (BBTG).
1994 -April 6. A regional summit was held in Dar-es-Salaam. Attack on General Habyalimana's plane at 8:30 P.M

April 7- Assassination of Prime Minister Agatha Uwilingiyimana and ten Belgian Blue Berets- Execution of several ministers and political officials belonging to opposition parties.

April 8: RPA troops ordered to intervene in Kigali and stop the genocide

April 14: Belgium announces withdrawal of its troops in UNAMIR. On
20th the last Belgian peacekeeper leaves Rwanda. ¬
April 18: Attempt by RPF to jam signals of RTLM hate radio

April 21: RPA liberates Byumba

April 30: RPA secures Tanzanian border town of Rusumo
 
May 16: RPA cuts the road between Gitarama and Kigali

May 22: RPA takes control of the Airport and Kanombe military camp

May 29: RPA liberates Nyanza town in Southern province

June 2: RPA liberates Kabgayi locality

June 13: RPA liberates Gitarama town. Interim government had left Gitarama for Gisenyi on 10th.

June 21: First French troops of Turquoise Mission arrive at the Zaire ¬Rwanda border a day before the UN Security Council approves (on 22nd ) in resolution 929 the French proposal to dispatch troops to Rwanda.

July 4. RPF forces liberated Kigali and Butare on 3rd. The Government of the 'genocidaires' flees to Zaire now DRC.
July 14: RPA liberates Ruhengeri town
July 17: RPA liberates Gisenyi town

July 19. Setting up of the Government of National Unity and official stoppage of the 1994-genocide.

Ends