Rwandan Patriotic Front
Rwandan Patriotic Front Front Patriotique Rwandais | |
|---|---|
| President | Paul Kagame |
| Secretary-General | Wellars Gasamagera |
| Founder | Fred Rwigema |
| Founded | December 1979 (RANU) December 1987 (RPF) |
| Headquarters | Kigali |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Big tent Historical: Left-wing |
| Colours | Sky blue |
| Chamber of Deputies | 37 / 80 |
| Party flag | |
| Website | |
| rpfinkotanyi | |
The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF–Inkotanyi; French: Front patriotique rwandais, FPR) is the ruling political party in Rwanda.
The RPF was founded in December 1987 by Rwandan Tutsi in exile in Uganda because of the ethnic violence that had occurred during the Rwandan Hutu Revolution in 1959–1962. In 1990, the RPF started the Rwandan Civil War in an attempt to overthrow the government, which was dominated by Hutu. Later on, the Rwandan genocide occurred that ended on 4 July with the RPF conquest of the entire country. The RPF have ruled the country since then as a one-party state, and its current leader, Paul Kagame, became the president of Rwanda in 2000, and remains in office.
Since 1994, RPF rule has been characterized by political repression, relative stability, and economic growth. Among other policies implemented by the government are the non-recognition of ethnic identities and a wide-ranging prohibition on what the government calls "genocide ideology", including discussion of ethnic differences. Despite an official nonsectarian identity, as of 2021, a large majority of officials in the RPF-led government are Tutsi.