Louise Mushikiwabo

Louise Mushikiwabo was born on 22 May 1961 in Kigali, the Rwandan capital.{{cite book |last=Twagilimana |first=Aimable |title=Historical Dictionary of Rwanda |date=6 November 2015 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=9781442255913 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9E6xCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA157}} Her father was Bitsindinkumi, from the Batsobe clan;{{sfn|Mushikiwabo|Kramer|2007|p=65}} Bitsindinkumi worked as a farmer, managing the family's smallholding as well as working as bookkeeper for a colonial coffee plantation.{{sfn|Mushikiwabo|Kramer|2007|p=65}} Her mother was Nyiratulira, a first cousin of the Abiru philosopher and historian Alexis Kagame.{{sfn|Mushikiwabo|Kramer|2007|p=Dedications}} She spent her childhood in Kigali.{{cite web |last=Nkem-Eneanya |first=Jennifer |date=27 November 2013 |title=Minister Louise Mushikiwabo; Rebuilding Rwanda One Policy at a Time… |website=Konnect Africa |url=http://www.konnectafrica.net/minister-louise-mushikiwabo-rebuilding-rwanda-one-policy-at-a-time/}} The youngest of nine children,{{cite news |newspaper=The New Times|location=Rwanda |date=8 March 2008 |title=New faces in Cabinet |url=http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2008-03-08/86852/}} her siblings included Lando Ndasingwa, who became a notable businessman and politician in Rwanda before being killed in 1994 during the Rwandan genocide, and Anne-Marie Kantengwa, who took over Lando's hotel Chez Lando after his death and served in the Parliament of Rwanda from 2003 to 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.ieew.org/2013-ptb-students/anne-marie-kantengwa |title=Anne-Marie Kantengwa |publisher=The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women |access-date=19 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202000717/http://www.ieew.org/2013-ptb-students/anne-marie-kantengwa |archive-date=2 February 2017 |url-status=dead }}

After completing primary and secondary school in Kigali, Mushikiwabo went to study at the National University of Rwanda (currently University of Rwanda), in the southern city of Butare, in 1981.{{cite web |publisher=St. Martin's Press |work=Macmillan Books |title=Louise Mushikiwabo |url=http://us.macmillan.com/author/louisemushikiwabo |access-date=17 September 2010}} She graduated from university in 1984, with a bachelor's degree in English, and then worked briefly as a secondary school teacher. In 1986, she emigrated from Rwanda to the United States,{{cite magazine |url=http://www.duchessinternationalmagazine.com/profile/louise-mushikiwabo/ |title=Louise Mushikiwabo |magazine=Duchess International Magazine |date=8 January 2016 |access-date=19 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908032105/http://www.duchessinternationalmagazine.com/profile/louise-mushikiwabo/ |archive-date=8 September 2017 |url-status=dead }} where she began studying for a master's degree in Languages and Interpretation at the University of Delaware, with French as her specialist language.{{cite web |url=http://www1.udel.edu/udaily/2015/oct/rwanda-minister-101414.html |last=Adams |first=Elizabeth |title=Rwanda overcomes tragedy |publisher=University of Delaware |date=14 October 2014 |access-date=19 October 2016}} Upon finishing her studies in 1988, she remained in the United States, settling in the Washington, D.C. area.{{cite book |year=2012 |last1=Crisafulli |first1=Patricia |last2=Redmond |first2=Andrea |title=Rwanda, Inc.: How a Devastated Nation Became an Economic Model for the Developing World |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=9781137066473 |page=30 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wilyjMI3UxcC&pg=PT30}} She started her career working for lobbying organisations, before taking a position with the African Development Bank (ADB); as part of her role with the ADB she lived in Tunisia for a short time, and eventually became the bank's Communications Director.

In 2006, Mushikiwabo wrote a book, Rwanda Means the Universe,{{cite journal |last=Waters |first=Tony |title=Rwanda Means the Universe: A Native's Memoir of Blood and Bloodlines |journal=The International Journal of African Historical Studies |url=https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-1243349371/rwanda-means-the-universe-a-native-s-memoir-of-blood |access-date=16 November 2017 |archive-date=16 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716110903/https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-1243349371/rwanda-means-the-universe-a-native-s-memoir-of-blood |url-status=dead }} which was co-authored by Jack Kramer, an American journalist and ex-marine.{{cite web |author=Macmillan Publishers |title=Jack Kramer |url=https://us.macmillan.com/author/jackkramer/ |access-date=16 November 2017}} The book is semi-autobiographical, describing Mushikiwabo's family history, her early life in Rwanda, and her experiences upon emigrating to the United States. It also describes the Rwandan genocide in detail, from a historical perspective as well as from Mushikwabo's own point of view living in Washington, as she received the news that many of her family members had been killed.

File:MSC_2014_Ischinger-Mushikiwabo_Zwez_MSC2014.jpg at the 50th Munich Security Conference, 2014]]

In March 2008, Mushikiwabo was invited by Rwandan President Paul Kagame to return to her homeland Rwanda and take up a position in his government. She was appointed to the post of Minister of Information, replacing Laurent Nkusi.{{cite news |last=Munyaneza |first=James |title=Umuco saga: Why all eyes are on new Minister Mushikiwabo |newspaper=The New Times |date=26 March 2008 |url=http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2008-03-26/3130/ |access-date=19 October 2016}} Early in her tenure, Mushikiwabo was responsible for deciding whether to take action against several local media organisations that had run defamatory stories about Kagame.{{cite book|title=Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2009|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7NMXABwIjyAC&pg=PA528|publisher=Government Printing Office|pages=528–|id=GGKEY:EXCA0EGBR49}} One newspaper, the Kinyarwanda-language daily Umuco, had published an article comparing the president to Adolf Hitler, and the High Council of the Press (HCP) had requested the government to suspend the newspaper's licence.{{cite news |last=Munyaneza |first=James |title=Suspend Umuco, HCP tells new Information Minister |newspaper=The New Times |date=24 March 2008 |url=http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2008-03-24/3119/ |access-date=19 October 2016}} Nkusi had refused this request, and while Mushikiwabo did not officially suspend the paper, it nonetheless stopped printing in October 2008. Mushikiwabo generally encouraged her colleagues to support freedom of the press,{{cite news |last=Musoni |first=Edwin |title=Media has a right to public information–Mushikiwabo |newspaper=The New Times |date=3 May 2008 |url=http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2008-05-03/40028/ |access-date=19 October 2016}} but was also firm in ensuring that the media complied with Rwanda's tough laws surrounding genocide denial.{{cite news |last=Nkurunziza |first=Sam |title=Mushikiwabo warns media on Genocide reporting |newspaper=The New Times |date=27 April 2009 |url=http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2009-04-27/8220/ |access-date=19 October 2016}} In 2009, she issued a temporary ban on the Kinyarwanda radio station broadcast by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), because she claimed it had aired programmes "giving free scope to genocidaires and negationists of the genocide";{{cite news |publisher=BBC News |title=Rwanda bans BBC local broadcasts |date=26 April 2009 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8019398.stm |access-date=19 October 2016}} the BBC denied this claim, arguing that it and the government had different interpretations of the genocide.

As well as being responsible for the ministry's decision making, Mushikiwabo also fulfilled the role of government spokesperson during her stint as Minister of Information.{{cite news |last=Munyaneza |first=James |date=8 December 2009 |title=Why the media will miss Mushikiwabo |url=http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/14354 |access-date=17 November 2017}} For example when Rwanda had a diplomatic crisis with Germany following the arrest of President Kagame's chief of protocol Rose Kabuye, Mushikiwabo spoke to the international media to clarify the Rwandan government's position.{{cite news |last=McGreal |first=Chris |date=10 November 2008 |title=Top Rwandan aide chooses French terror trial |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/10/rwanda-congo-kabuye}} She made use of her linguistic skills, being able to give statements in all of Rwanda's official languages, Kinyarwanda, French and English.

• Africa Europe Foundation (AEF), Member of the High-Level Group of Personalities on Africa-Europe Relations (since 2020)[https://www.friendsofeurope.org/initiatives/eu-africa-high-level-group/ High-Level Group of Personalities on Africa-Europe Relations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411085150/https://www.friendsofeurope.org/initiatives/eu-africa-high-level-group/ |date=11 April 2022 }} Africa Europe Foundation (AEF).
• Munich Security Conference, Member of the Advisory Council[https://www.securityconference.de/en/about/advisory-council/ Advisory Council] Munich Security Conference.
• International Gender Champions (IGC), Member[https://genderchampions.com/champions Members] International Gender Champions (IGC).
• Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), Member of the Strategic Committee[https://www.sciencespo.fr/psia/content/psia-strategic-committee.html Strategic Committee] Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA).

Her brother, Lando Ndasingwa, was the only Tutsi minister in the last Habyarimana government, but was killed at the beginning of the 1994 genocide.[http://www.crimesofwar.org/tribun-mag/mag_rwandatestim.html Mushikiwabo's Autobiography on the site crimesofwar.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041205003622/http://www.crimesofwar.org/tribun-mag/mag_rwandatestim.html |date=2004-12-05 }} Her sister, Anne-Marie Kantengwa, took over the management of their brother's hotel and restaurant, Chez Lando, after his murder. Mushikiwabo is also the niece of the distinguished Rwandan scholar and priest Alexis Kagame.{{sfn|Mushikiwabo|Kramer|2007|p=Dedications}}

• List of foreign ministers in 2017
• Cabinet of Rwanda

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• {{cite book |last1=Mushikiwabo |first1=Louise |last2=Kramer |first2=Jack |year=2007 |title=Rwanda Means the Universe: A Native's Memoir of Blood and Bloodlines |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=9781429907316 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wp42sgFhqFcC }}

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Category:1961 births

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