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.

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.

Ruanda-Urundi (dark green) depicted within the Belgian colonial empire (light green), 1935.

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

• Minister of the Colonies (Belgium)
• List of colonial governors of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo
• List of kings of Rwanda
• List of presidents of Rwanda
• List of kings of Burundi
• List of presidents of Burundi

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.

External links

• World Statesmen – Ruanda-Urundi