Nestled among abundant tea plantations, just a 10-minute drive from the Rwanda-Uganda border is a verdant, rounded hill. Crowned with a tea factory, telecommunication masts, a playground, and numerous houses, this picturesque hill offers a captivating sight. To reach this enchanting location, you need to veer off the bustling Kigali-Gatuna road onto a small, dusty pathway that winds through the tea estates. As you ascend the ridge, adorned with majestic eucalyptus trees, you will eventually reach the summit. From there, a breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding area unfolds before your eyes. This place evokes memories of both the triumphs and tribulations of the past — the past that defines Rwanda as it is today. On the bright side, this site served as a pivotal strategic base for the Rwandan Patriotic Front /Army (RPF/A) Inkotanyi High Command between 1992 and 1994 during their struggle for the liberation of Rwanda, which ultimately led to their taking of power. It was here that Paul Kagame, the Chairman of the RPA High Command, now President of Rwanda, orchestrated the war effort until July 4, 1994, when Kigali fell. Ironically, a short distance away from this historic site stands a sombre reminder of a dark past. In Mukarange Sector, once home to Felicien Kabuga, one of the most notorious masterminds of the Genocide against the Tutsi, lies a haunting testament. Kabuga was among the proprietors of the tea plantations enveloping Mulindi. From his stronghold in Kigali, Kabuga orchestrated the Genocide that tragically claimed the lives of over a million. Kabuga who was the chief financier of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi had managed to evade justice for 27 years until he was arrested in France in 2020 and transferred to International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The Hague, Netherlands for trial. However, his trial has since hit a dead end after he was declared clinically unfit to stand trial, and instead, the court opted for an alternative proceeding commonly used in the Common Law system which is dubbed ‘trial of facts’, a procedure that despite its closeness to an ordinary trial, does not provide for a conviction. Back to Mulindi, one of the captivating sights at Mulindi is bunkers hidden underneath this idyllic beauty. A big framed photo of President Kagame completes the set of objects inside the main bunker which measures about 1.5m x 3m and is located at the extreme end of the site. This is the bunker where Kagame, in his mid-thirties at the time, sat and planned the liberation struggle he was leading between 1990 and 1994. Commonly referred to as Mulindi w’Intwari (Mulindi of heroes), the place evokes memories of the sacrifice, hard work, and strategic planning of youthful Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) revolutionaries, now turned into Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), that led to the takeover of power in 1994 after halting the 100-day Genocide against the Tutsi. As mentioned earlier Mulindi headquartered the RPF and the High Command of the RPA since 1992, as it was the most convenient area for the fighters. It was chosen for strategic reasons because it would easily be defendable and all the surrounding hills had already been occupied by the RPA fighters. It is from Mulindi that wide-scale attacks were planned and conducted simultaneously. During the struggle and hardship, every one had his own foxhole, and all fighters used to be inside during the night to avoid possible enemy bombardments. The bunkers were well-constructed and could withstand any heavy shelling. The facility which previously had belonged to Mulindi tea factory, has few houses that would shelter the very many RPF/A members who were there. However, it is believed that there were also tents around the compounds which also served as shelter, although the sleeping time was either too limited or not even there due to the nature of the task at hand. The main bunker which is located at the extreme end of the site was strictly reserved for the chairman of the High Command, Kagame. He also had a four-bedroom house located slightly uphill from the bunker. Inside the house, Kagame had a map of Rwanda pinned in his bedroom, a working desk, and a sleeping bag. He didn’t sleep in the master bedroom. Rather, he opted for an extreme end room whose windows did not have iron bars. Other bedrooms’ windows had iron bars. Tour guides at Mulindi say that the choice of the room that Kagame opted for was strategic. He considered the room that had no iron bars in the windows as it would serve as an alternative exit in the event of any attack. Also, there was a second bunker which was considered prime as well as used for exclusive meetings and communication coordination. The RPA struggle was marked by advanced communication which was even better than the one of the then-ruling regime of Juvenal Habyarimana. Besides the RPA fighters, Mulindi also housed civilians who were part of the Arusha Peace talks. That implied that there were several meetings at Mulindi to coordinate RPF/A position every time they were to head for a talk. At Mulindi, there is a special house where such meetings were held and it has since been nicknamed ‘Arusha’. Right in front of the house are ruins of the bunkers where the RPF civilians would camp for protection. Next to ‘Arusha’ is a section that housed women. The same women were part of the first women-led and dominated battalion code-named Yankee. It was even at the historic place that members of the RPF, accompanied by the RPA 3rd battalion to protect them, that were to be part of the transitional government following Arusha agreements in 1993, were approved and set off. At the same time, it is at Mulindi that the first RPF congress to be held on Rwandan soil was conducted. It was not only military operations that were hatched on the hill. The soldiers also took time off to play football, basketball, and volleyball thus the presence of pitches next to the bunker. Such games helped soldiers to interact and give them some mental relaxation away from the heavy war they were fighting. In fact, the same football pitch is where the topflight side APR Football Club was was born when Abakombozi Football Club (of PSD Party by then) travelled to Mulindi for a showdown against Inkotanyi, it was the birth of a whole new memory that brought together two sides separated by history. The main factory processing building also hosted several events including mega concerts that would even attract RPF cadres from abroad. Performers at the first RPF mega concert included Intore Masamba, Kamariza, and Indahemuka cultural troupe. Since the current government owes part of its history to the hill, it was decided that a museum be built in the area. So far the construction for an advanced museum building is complete and entering the final phase of equipping with resources telling the whole journey of Rwanda’s liberation struggle. Such concerts were not new, several had been held out of Rwanda for fundraising and support for the RPA. The Mulindi concert was the first of a kind bringing together RPF cadres and performers happening on Rwandan soil. Though the story begins at Mulindi, there are also events that took place in other parts of the country before and after Mulindi occupation.
