"I Bled Internally When Fred Rwigema Died" – Dr. Emile Rwamasirabo on Exile, War and Liberation

In this week’s episode of The Long Form, I sit down with Dr. Emile Rwamasirabo — a man whose life mirrors the turbulent history of Rwanda. Born in 1951 in Nyaruguru, he lived through the Kayibanda years, endured exile, trained as a surgeon in France, and then left a comfortable life abroad to join the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) in Uganda. From the battlefields of the liberation war where he treated wounded fighters, to rebuilding Rwanda’s shattered health system and leading its biggest hospitals, Dr. Rwamasirabo shares a deeply personal and historical perspective. We talk about exile, sacrifice, state-building, and the lessons of the RPF struggle. For audiences across Rwanda, East Africa, Africa, and the diaspora, this conversation offers a rare look into the journey of a senior RPF cadre and the evolution of Rwanda’s politics, medicine, and nationhood.

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