Guillaume "Guy" Logiest (1912–1991) was a Belgian military officer. He served in colonial Rwanda as

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

's top-ranking colonial official, the special military resident from 1959–1962 and High Representative (1962). Under his guidance, the political framework was laid for democratic elections in 1962 and independence of the country on 1 July that year.

Career

Guillaume Logiest was born in

Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...

, Belgium to a French-speaking family. He was called Guy by his family and associates. He entered the military as a young man and made his career there. He was assigned to colonial Rwanda as the highest-ranking military officer. Belgium had assigned military officers as its top colonial administrators in the colony. From 1959 to 1962, Logiest served as special military resident, and High Representative (1962) of Rwanda. In 1959 the

Hutu The Hutu (), also known as the Abahutu, are a Bantu ethnic group native to the African Great Lakes region. They mainly live in Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda where they form one of the principal ethnic groups alongside the Tutsi and the Great L ...

majority overthrew the

Tutsi The Tutsi ( ), also called Watusi, Watutsi or Abatutsi (), are an ethnic group of the African Great Lakes region. They are a Bantu languages, Bantu-speaking ethnic group and the second largest of three main ethnic groups in Rwanda and Burundi ( ...

monarchy in the

Rwandan Revolution The Rwandan Revolution, also known as the Hutu Revolution, Social Revolution, or Wind of Destruction (), was a period of ethnic violence in Rwanda from 1959 to 1961 between the Hutu and the Tutsi, two of the three ethnic groups in Rwanda. The ...

. It had controlled much of the country for centuries. Although in the minority, the Tutsi had been favored by the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

and Belgian colonial administrations. During the years when Rwanda was developing institutions to gain independence from colonial rule, Logiest helped guide the creation of a political framework for administration. This included preparation for elections, with the expected result that the Hutu majority would take power. Until Rwanda's full independence in 1962, Logiest continued to serve as Belgium's highest official representative in Rwanda. Later Logiest also was head of the Belgian military mission to the Congo, where he actively countered popular supporters of deceased

Patrice Lumumba Patrice Émery Lumumba ( ; born Isaïe Tasumbu Tawosa; 2 July 192517 January 1961) was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic o ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Logiest, Guillaume 1912 births 1991 deaths 20th-century Belgian military personnel Belgian Army officers Belgian colonial administrators Military personnel from Ghent Ruanda-Urundi people