List of colonial governors of Ruanda-Urundi
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 League of Nations mandate, and later a United Nations trust territory, under Belgian control, until 1962 when the constituent parts of the territory became independent.
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.
list
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Position | Term of office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | ||||
|
Hans von Ramsay (1862–1938) |
Commander | May 1896 | 189? | |
|
Heinrich Bethe | 1898 | February 1901 | ||
| Commander | 1899 | 1902 | |||
|
|
Friedrich Robert von Beringe (1865–1940) |
August 1902 | February 1904 | ||
|
Werner von Grawert (1867–1918) |
February 1904 | June 1906 | ||
| Military Resident | 1906 | 15 November 1907 | |||
|
Philippe Molitor (1869–1952) |
Commander of the Northern Brigade | April 1916 | 1916 | |
|
Armand Huyghé (1871–1944) |
1916 | 1917 | ||
|
Frederik-Valdemar Olsen (1877–1962) |
Commander of the Southern Brigade | May 1916 | 1917 | |
|
Charles Tombeur (1867–1947) |
Military Governor | April 1916 | 22 November 1916 | |
|
|
Justin Malfeyt (1862–1924) |
Royal Commissioner | 22 November 1916 | May 1919 | |
|
|
Alfred Marzorati (1881–1955) |
May 1919 | 20 October 1924 | ||
|
Pierre Ryckmans (1891–1959) |
Acting Royal Commissioner | November 1921 | July 1922 | |
|
|
Alfred Marzorati (1881–1955) |
Royal Commissioner | 20 October 1924 | 28 August 1926 | |
|
|
Pierre Ryckmans (1891–1959) |
Acting Royal Commissioner | 15 November 1925 | 13 December 1926 | |
|
|
Alfred Marzorati (1881–1955) |
Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo | 28 August 1926 | 5 February 1929 | |
|
|
Louis Postiaux (1882–1948) |
Acting Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo | 5 February 1929 | 4 July 1930 | |
|
|
Charles Voisin (1887–1942) |
Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo | 4 July 1930 | 18 August 1932 | |
|
|
Eugène Jungers (1888–1958) |
18 August 1932 | 5 July 1946 | ||
|
|
Maurice Simon (1892–1960) |
5 July 1946 | August 1949 | ||
|
|
Léo Pétillon (1903–1996) |
August 1949 | 1 January 1952 | ||
|
|
Alfred Claeys-Boùùaert (1906–1993) |
1 January 1952 | 1 March 1955 | ||
|
Jean-Paul Harroy (1909–1995) |
1 March 1955 | 1960 | ||
| 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.
German rule
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
Military District of Ujiji
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1896 to 189? | Hans von Ramsay, Commander of the Military District of Ujiji | |
| 1898 to 1901 | Heinrich von Bethe, Commander of the Military District of Ujiji |
Military District of Usumbura
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1899 to 1902 | Heinrich Bethe, Commander of the Military District of Usumbura | |
| 1902 to 1904 | Friedrich Robert von Beringe, Commander of the Military District of Usumbura | |
| 1904 to 1906 | Werner von Grawert, Commander of the Military District of Usumbura | |
| Military Residency of Urundi and Ruanda | ||
| 1906 to 15 November 1907 | Werner von Grawert, Resident of Urundi and Ruanda | |
| 15 November 1907 | Division 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)
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| May 1916 to 1916 | Philippe Molitor, Commander of the Northern Brigade | |
| 1916 to 1917 | Armand Huyghé, Commander of the Northern Brigade |
Territories east of Lake Kivu and Lake Tanganyika (including Southern Ruanda and Urundi)
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| June 1916 to 1917 | Frederik-Valdemar Olsen, Commander of the Southern Brigade |
Belgian Occupied East African Territories
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1916 to 22 November 1916 | Charles Tombeur, Military Governor | |
| 22 November 1916 to May 1919 | Justin Malfeyt, Royal Commissioner for Occupied East Africa | |
| May 1919 to 20 October 1924 | Alfred Marzorati, Royal Commissioner for Occupied East Africa | |
| November 1921 to July 1922 | Pierre Ryckmans, acting Royal Commissioner for Occupied East Africa |
Ruanda-Urundi Mandate / Trust Territory
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| League of Nations Mandated Territory of Ruanda-Urundi | ||
| 20 October 1924 to 1 March 1926 | Alfred Marzorati, Royal Commissioner for Ruanda-Urundi | |
| Administrative union with Belgian Congo | ||
| 1 March 1926 to 28 August 1926 | Alfred Marzorati, Royal Commissioner for Ruanda-Urundi | |
| 15 November 1925 to 13 December 1926 | Pierre Ryckmans, acting Royal Commissioner for Ruanda-Urundi | |
| 28 August 1926 to 5 February 1929 | Alfred Marzorati, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo | |
| 5 February 1929 to 4 July 1930 | Louis-Joseph Postiaux, acting Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo | |
| 4 July 1930 to 18 August 1932 | Charles Voisin, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo | |
| 18 August 1932 to 5 July 1946 | Eugène Jungers, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo | |
| 5 July 1946 to 13 December 1946 | Maurice Simon, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo (acting) | |
| United Nations Trust Territory of Ruanda-Urundi | ||
| 13 December 1946 to 1947 | Maurice Simon, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo | |
| 1947 to August 1949 | Maurice Simon, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo | |
| August 1949 to 1 January 1952 | Léo Pétillon, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo | |
| 1 January 1952 to 1 March 1955 | Alfred Claeys-Boúúaert (Bouüaert in Dutch), Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo | |
| 1 March 1955 to 1960 | Jean-Paul Harroy, Governor and Deputy Governor-General of the Belgian Congo | |
| 1960 to 1 July 1962 | Jean-Paul Harroy, Resident-General | |
| 1 July 1962 | Independence as Kingdom of Burundi and Republic of Rwanda | |
For continuation after independence, see: Kings of Burundi and Presidents of Rwanda