(Photo by Atwiine Allen ©Diplomatic Times) His Excellency, (HE) Ignatius Katetegirwe, former Ugandan Ambassador in Rwanda between 1991 and 1996. Ambassador Katetegirwe died June 26, 2023 at age 92.
By Atwiine Allen DIPLOMATIC TIMES CORRESPONDENT
KAMPALA, UGANDA – Former Ugandan Ambassador to Rwanda Ignatius Baguma Katetegirwe has died, leaving behind a legacy of peace keeping efforts in the region. He was 92. Katetegirwe passed away Monday June 26 at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in the Mbarara district of Western Uganda after being admitted last week and diagnosed with COVID. Despite being retired from diplomacy, Katetegirwe remained active in supporting his community, helping the less privileged and spending time on his 10-acres farm in Isingiro district where he grew bananas and had about 120 grazed cows. Ambassador Katetegirwe played a significant role in halting the Rwandan genocide, although this is not well-documented. He is believed to have facilitated negotiations between the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and the Rwandan government, which were instrumental in bringing about a peaceful resolution to the conflict and preventing further bloodshed.
Celebrating the life of the Late Ambassador Ignatius Begumisa Katetegirwe 1931 – 2023.
Diplomatic Times East Africa Correspondent Atwiine Allen interviewed the former Ugandan Ambassador last September at his home in Isingiro, western Uganda regarding his diplomatic career and role he played in trying to avert the horrific genocide in Rwanda. Katetegirwe was a diplomat in Rwanda between 1991 and 1996. Katetegirwe was ambassador during the peace agreement between the Rwandan government and the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) that was derailed on the evening of 6 April 1994. On that fateful evening, the aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira, both Hutu, was shot down with surface-to-air missiles as their jet prepared to land in Kigali. President Habyarimana’s death triggered the infamous Rwandan Genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, members of the Hutu ethnic majority in the east-central African nation of Rwanda murdered as many as 800,000 people, mostly of the Tutsi minority. Mr. Katetegirwe was in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on the day President Habyarimana’s plane was shot down. Mr. Katetegirwe was supposed to be on the same plane as the Rwandan president, but the ambassador declined to go because he had received a letter indicating he should stay and complete unfinished business in Dar es Salaam regarding the peace talks. He blamed President Habyarimana for not listening to the demands of the Tutsi tribe to have thousands of refugees in Uganda returned to Rwanda.
“The failings of Habyarimana was his refusal to accede to the demand of the Tutsi tribe , centre around the demand for the return of tens of thousands of Tutsi refugees in Uganda back to Rwanda. He did nothing at that time to calm the growing tensions between the Hutu and the Tutsi.”
-Ignatius Katetegirwe, former Ugandan Ambassador in Rwanda
(©Diplomatic Times) His Excellency, (HE) Ignatius Katetegirwe, former Ugandan Ambassador in Rwanda between 1991 and 1996. Ambassador Katetegirwe died June 26, 2023 at age 92.
Nearly 1,000,000 People Killed in The RWANDA GENOCIDE
Skulls of victims from the Rwandan Genocide found at the Nyamata Memorial in Kigali Rwanda. (Wikipdia Commons)
While in Rwanda, Ambassador Katetegirwe played a vital role in peace-talks during the Rwandan ethnic civil war. However, a negotiated peace agreement failed, resulting in genocide that claimed nearly 1 million people. The Ambassador was a champion of peace and a firm believer in Pan-Africanism, dreaming of a united and economically great Africa. He believed that Africa’s people must do more to make the continent great. The late Ambassador is survived by a widow, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His love, respect and connections with the Ababiito people remain unforgettable, thanks to the hospitality that his late father in-law showed him. He was God-fearing and committed to helping people, which he believed has a way of paying back in one’s endeavor in life. Ambassador Ignatius Katetegirwe’s legacy lives on through his contributions to peacekeeping efforts in the region. He will always be remembered as a dedicated public servant who worked tirelessly to promote peace and stability in Rwanda and Uganda.
