List of colonial governors of Ruanda-Urundi

For residents of the subregion of Ruanda, see List of colonial residents of Rwanda. For residents of the subregion of Urundi, see List of colonial residents of Burundi.
Ruanda-Urundi (dark green) depicted within the Belgian colonial empire (light green), 1935.

This is a list of European colonial administrators responsible for the territory of Ruanda-Urundi, an area equivalent to modern-day Rwanda and Burundi. Ruanda-Urundi formed part of German East Africa until it was captured by Belgian forces during World War I. After that, the territory became a Class B League of Nations mandate, and later a United Nations trust territory, under the administration of Belgium, until 1962 when the constituent parts of the territory became independent.

German rule

Military District of Ujiji

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Position Term of office Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Hans von Ramsay
(1862–1938) 		Commander May 1896 189?
Heinrich Bethe 1898 February 1901 2–3 years

Military District of Usumbura

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Position Term of office Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Heinrich Bethe Commander 1899 1902 2–3 years
Friedrich Robert von Beringe
(1865–1940) 		August 1902 February 1904 1 year, 6 months
Werner von Grawert [de]
(1867–1918) 		February 1904 June 1906 2 years, 4 months

Military Residency of Urundi and Ruanda

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Position Term of office Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Werner von Grawert [de]
(1867–1918) 		Military Resident 1906 15 November 1907 0–1 years

On 15 November 1907, the Military Residency of Urundi and Ruanda was divided into two civil residencies: Ruanda and Urundi.

Belgian rule

Map of occupation zones of the Force Publique in German East Africa between 19 September 1916 and 28 June 1919.

Territories south of Lake Victoria (including Northern Ruanda)

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Position Term of office Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Philippe Molitor
(1869–1952) 		Commander of the Northern Brigade April 1916 1916 0 years
Armand Huyghé
(1871–1944) 		1916 1917 0–1 years

Territories east of Lake Kivu and Lake Tanganyika (including Southern Ruanda and Urundi)

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Position Term of office Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Frederik-Valdemar Olsen
(1877–1962) 		Commander of the Southern Brigade May 1916 1917 0–1 years

Occupied East African territories

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Position Term of office Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Charles Tombeur
(1867–1947) 		Military Governor April 1916 22 November 1916 7 months
Justin Malfeyt
(1862–1924) 		Royal Commissioner 22 November 1916 May 1919 2 years, 5 months
Alfred Marzorati
(1881–1955) 		May 1919 20 October 1924 5 years, 5 months
Pierre Ryckmans
(1891–1959) 		Acting Royal Commissioner November 1921 July 1922 8 months [a]

Ruanda-Urundi mandate / trust territory

Map of Ruanda-Urundi.
Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Position Term of office Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Alfred Marzorati
(1881–1955) 		Royal Commissioner 20 October 1924 28 August 1926 1 year, 312 days [b]
Pierre Ryckmans
(1891–1959) 		Acting Royal Commissioner 15 November 1925 13 December 1926 1 year, 28 days [c]
Alfred Marzorati
(1881–1955) 		Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo 28 August 1926 5 February 1929 2 years, 161 days [d]
Louis Postiaux
(1882–1948) 		Acting Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo 5 February 1929 4 July 1930 1 year, 149 days
Charles Voisin
(1887–1942) 		Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo 4 July 1930 18 August 1932 2 years, 45 days
Eugène Jungers
(1888–1958) 		18 August 1932 5 July 1946 13 years, 321 days
Maurice Simon
(1892–1960) 		5 July 1946 August 1949 3 years [e]
Léo Pétillon
(1903–1996) 		August 1949 1 January 1952 2 years, 5 months
Alfred Claeys-Boùùaert
(1906–1993) 		1 January 1952 1 March 1955 3 years, 59 days
Jean-Paul Harroy
(1909–1995) 		1 March 1955 1960 7 years, 122 days
Resident-General 1960 1 July 1962

On 1 July 1962, the constituent parts of Ruanda-Urundi became independent as the Republic of Rwanda (République du Rwanda) and the Kingdom of Burundi (Royaume du Burundi), respectively.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Acting for Marzorati.
  2. ^ 1st term; on 1 March 1926, Ruanda-Urundi was administratively united with Belgian Congo.
  3. ^ Acting for Marzorati to 28 August 1926.
  4. ^ 2nd term.
  5. ^ Acting to 1947.