The provinces of Rwanda (Kinyarwanda: intara) are divided into districts (akarere) and municipalities (umujyi). Prior to January 1, 2006, Rwanda was composed of 12 provinces. The Rwandan government decided to establish new provinces in an attempt to address issues that arose from the genocide against the Tutsis. The new provinces were to be "ethnically-diverse administrative areas".[1]
Until 2002, the provinces were called prefectures (perefegitura).[2]
Administrative divisions
Since January 1, 2006, the administrative divisions of Rwanda comprise four provinces and the City of Kigali:[3]
Administrative division between 2002 and 2006.The 11 prefectures and 145 communes of Rwanda during the genocide in 1994.Communes of Rwanda prior to 2002, after the formation of Umutara prefecture in 1996.
↑Guichaoua, André (August 1998). Local government in Rwanda: Expert report prepared at the request of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (Report). Arusha: ICTR. p.14. Record Number: 13685, Exhibit Number: P31B in ICTR-01-74. An eleventh [prefecture] came into being in 1990, with the division between Kigali-Urban and Kigali-Rural. Two neighbourhoods in Kigali-urban were at the same time transformed into communes, making a total of 145 communes.
