Colonel Patrick Karegeya (1960–2013) was a Rwandan military officer and intelligence chief who was instrumental in the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) victory that ended the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. A trusted friend and comrade of President Paul Kagame, he served as Rwanda’s powerful spy chief for a decade before an irreparable falling out led him into exile and subsequent assassination.
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Key Biographical Information
| Detail | Information |
| Born | 1960, Mbarara, British Uganda |
| Died | December 31, 2013 (aged 53), Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Political Party | Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) (Former); Rwanda National Congress (RNC) (Co-founder) |
| Key Titles | Director General, External Intelligence (1994–2004) |
| Exile Date | Fled to South Africa in 2007 |
| Assassination | Found murdered (strangled) in a luxury hotel room |
| Comrades | Paul Kagame (President); Lieutenant-General Kayumba Nyamwasa (Fellow RNC Co-founder) |
RPF Insider and Intelligence Chief
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Ugandan Bush War Veteran: Born to Rwandan Tutsi exiles in Uganda, Karegeya earned a Law degree from Makerere University. Like many future RPF leaders, he joined Yoweri Museveni’s National Resistance Army (NRA) during the Ugandan Bush War, serving in military intelligence.
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RPF Invasion: He was embedded with the RPF from its formation, leveraging his Ugandan intelligence connections for the movement’s preparations and eventual invasion of Rwanda in 1990.
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Spy Chief: Following the RPF victory in 1994, Karegeya was appointed Director General of External Intelligence in the Rwandan Defence Forces, a critical post where he oversaw covert operations and external security for the new regime for ten years. His work was central to Rwanda’s involvement in the complex regional conflicts, particularly in eastern Zaire (now DRC).
Fall from Grace and Exile
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Clash with Kagame: By the mid-2000s, political and personal tensions mounted between Karegeya and President Kagame, his childhood friend and longtime comrade.
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Imprisonment and Stripping of Rank: Karegeya was arrested twice on charges of insubordination and suspected disloyalty. He was jailed for 18 months, stripped of his military rank of Colonel in 2006, and eventually fled to South Africa in 2007.
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Opposition in Exile: In South Africa, he co-founded the Rwanda National Congress (RNC) in 2010 with another high-profile RPF defector, former Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa. The RNC was established to advocate for democratic change and openly criticize Kagame’s authoritarian rule.
Assassination
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Murder: Karegeya was found dead in a room at the Michelangelo Towers hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, on December 31, 2013. Autopsy reports confirmed he died from homicide by asphyxiation (strangulation).
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Official Accusations: His RNC colleagues and family immediately accused the Rwandan government of orchestrating the assassination, citing a pattern of attacks and attempted murders on high-profile Rwandan exiles, including multiple attempts on Kayumba Nyamwasa’s life.
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Rwanda’s Response: The Rwandan government consistently denied involvement, but its officials showed little remorse. Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo stated that the government had “no sympathy or pity for Karegeya—a self-declared enemy.” President Kagame, in an apparent reference to the murder, publicly warned, “You can’t betray Rwanda and not get punished for it.”
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International Fallout: The killing led to a significant diplomatic strain between Rwanda and South Africa, which expelled Rwandan diplomats in connection with the murder. The case remains a prominent example of alleged extra-territorial assassination of political dissidents by the Rwandan regime.