How the People of Rwanda became almost 100% Christians

On April 1st, 1910, King Rukara rwa Bishingwe killed the religious colonizer father Loupias at Gahinga. He and his people were tired of the colonizers who were harassing their people to convert to Christianity.

Following the killing, the German colonizer Gudovius organized a punitive expedition on the local population killing people randomly on the streets, burned their houses and destroyed their crops in the farms.

Exactly two years later, on April 1912, Germans terrorists attacked the area of Buberuka, in the Ruhengeri region, executed chief Ndungutse who was hiding Rukara, the king who had killed Father Loupias in 1910. The German Lieutenant Linde in command the German terrorists massacred over 7000 villagers (but the German account was only 50 people killed), destroyed the whole village, burned houses and crops.

The mass killing however succeeded to increase conversions and the total Christian population to about 10% of the people of Rwanda. As the conversions were forced, those who converted did so just to escape punitive actions from the Germans.

After the Belgians replaced the Germans as colonizers of Rwanda, they forced, in 1917, King Musinga to recognize freedom of worship, which indeed undermined the religious authority tied to his status. King Musinga however refused to convert to christianity, and his people followed him by refusing conversion to the alien religion.

In retaliation for his refusal, the Belgians made a decree to forbid ancestral rituals connected to the king role, exiled his favorite oracle Gashamura, and forced the king to cross the Nyabarongo River, an act forbidden by his regnal name.

Regardless of the Belgians efforts and the zeal of the religious colonizers, the white fathers, the people of Rwanda still massively rejected the colonial religion.

In an astute move, the Belgians corrupted King Musinga son, Rudahigwa, by giving him gifts and favors, and pushed him to overthrow his father, which he did. After taking power, the son converted to Christianity as the new king, moved into a palace built for him by the Belgians, required all his people to abandon their spirituality and convert to Christianity. He change his name to a catholic name, gave the white father all authority to destroy ancestral temples and forbid all traditional rites.

King Musinga cursed those of his children who dared to become Christians, but was banished from the country in 1930.

Resistance to forced christianization however continued regardless of Rudahigwa treason. In October 1930, the people in Bumbogo, a region north of Kigali, revolted against the white fathers and the colonizers, but the catholic church militia intervened to kill people and threaten those who refuse to follow them.

Thus how Rwanda became an almost 100% Christian country with all the population wearing a Christian name. A successful colonization.

All applause to Christianity, a good religion that spread only through violence and forced conversion.

2 thoughts on “How the People of Rwanda became almost 100% Christians

  1. I have it on authority of insiders that Rudahigwa was enthroned by blackmail. When it was put to him that he must be king or be killed, he told them(belgians) that he would respond to them after consultation. He went and told one of his uncles (name withheld) who saw a chance to kill two birds with one stone. He arranged an expedition from Eastern Rwanda to Kamembe ( a near-impossible feat then)with a vanguard of special forces and he and Rudahigwa in the rear. They went and on the nth day reached in the vicinity of Kamembe. A scout party was sent and the King informed that Chief Kanaka and your son are on that hill and want to meet you secretly. The king granted appointment and they met secretly outside the camp and he was told hurriedly what was transpiring to which he did a counter-measure(not public info to be displayed here). The King performed the essential ritual and the party departed for the Eastern part of Rwanda where the belgians believed Rudahigwa to be (allegedly on a hunting expedition) then he reported and told them he agrees 100% with their proposal of usurping his father’s throne. Rudahigwa is unique in the annals of Rwanda monarchy in that:(i) he was the only king who reigned when his father was still alive (ii) he is the only Sovereign who swore by a commoner (umwami wirahira umututsi) In conclusion, I advise you Mawuna to be discussing subjects you understand well lest you lose your credibility irretrievably….. on this note, I rest my case

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