History of Rwanda September 1961, a referendum was held to establish whether Rwanda should become a republic or remain a kingdom. Citizens voted overwhelmingly for a republic. After parliamentary elections held on the same day, the first Rwandese Republic was declared, with Kayibanda as prime minister. Dominique Mbonyumutwa was named the first president of the transitional government. Between 1961 and 1962, Tutsi guerrilla groups staged attacks into Rwanda from neighboring countries. Rwandan Hutu-based troops responded, and thousands more were killed in the clashes. On 1 July 1962, Belgium, with UN oversight, granted full independence to the two countries. Rwanda was created as a
Sport in Rwanda the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA). Its national team made its African Cup of Nations debut in the 2004 edition of the tournament. A Rwanda B team won the CECAFA Cup in 1999, when the country hosted the tournament. The CECAFA Club Cup has been known as the Kagame Interclub Cup since 2002, when Rwandan President Kagame started to sponsor the competition. The national team is yet to qualify for the World Cup. Rwanda's highest domestic football competition is the Rwanda National Football League. Cricket has been described as