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.

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

 
Map of Ruanda-Urundi.
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

List Of Colonial Governors Of Ruanda-Urundi Media

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