Born in Ngozi, Burundi, and raised in Uganda, Sezibera was among the youth who made the life-changing decision to leave behind their personal pursuits to join the fight to liberate Rwanda after completing his medical studies.
At the battlefield, he undertook numerous roles: from wielding a gun and directly confronting the enemy to treating the wounded under dire conditions plus leading his fellow fighters in some incidences.
After Rwanda’s liberation, Sezibera served in various capacities, including in the government, parliament, foreign missions in different roles and at the World Health Organization (WHO). At one time Sezibera faced health challenges that saw him out of politics for around four years.
In 2019, Dr. Sezibera suffered a stroke, a serious, life-threatening medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off and can potentially lead to death if immediate medical attention is not provided. The stroke struck unexpectedly, but with the support of his family and the Rwandan government, he is now on the road to recovery.
In an exclusive interview recently with RBA, Ambassador Dr. Sezibera discussed his current condition and reflected on the journey he has taken since childhood.
“I was born in Ngozi, Burundi, partly because of Rwanda’s turbulent history. My father was killed in 1963. I was born a refugee in that country, but I grew up in Uganda with my uncle’s family, where I studied until I returned to Rwanda in 1990 with the Rwanda Patriotic Army,” he revealed.
Despite being born and raised in exile, he always knew that one day he would return home and claim his rights like any other citizen. This belief was the main reason he joined others in taking up arms after peaceful means had failed to liberate the country.
Determined to regain rights to his homeland, which had been denied to him, he left Uganda amid political difficulties where Rwandans were constantly reminded that Uganda was not their ancestral home.
“I always thought I would find a way back to my country. Fortunately, the Rwandan Patriotic Front was organizing itself in Uganda, and that gave us hope that we would eventually come back to our country,' he narrated.
Born in 1964, before joining the army, Ambassador Dr. Sezibera initially practiced medicine in Uganda, first at Mbuya Military Hospital and then in Mbale, where he worked for a few months at Mbale district Hospital for a year.
He decided to leave a well-paying job in a country with all the necessities to contribute his skills to treating those wounded in an effort to liberate his country.
“For four years, I practiced medicine in the bush. It was tough because we had no medical supplies and infrastructure, but despite that, medical care was needed. We did our best with what we had. We carried out major surgeries in the banana plantations with basic anesthesia,” he said.
“It was quite tough to perform surgeries under fire, sometimes in the dark, under torchlight. It was a task that required great dedication,” added Sezibera.
They also provided medical care to the impoverished local population. “When we were operating in the northern part of Rwanda, one area I remember is there were very poor people. We ended up not only vaccinating our troops but also the surrounding communities. Although we lacked enough equipment and medicines, we shared whatever we had with the local population, which had clearly been abandoned by their government for a very long time,' he said.
Sezibera recounts that this difficult life taught him many valuable lessons, including the resilience of the youth who were on the battlefield with unwavering determination.
There were times when a soldier under his care, perhaps just after surgery of battle wounds, would try to escape their sick days before they were fully healed to return to the frontline to help defeat the enemy.
“The second lesson I learned was the importance of leadership. After major operations in what we called the theater, I would sometimes see President Kagame, who was the commander, appearing to check on the situation, following up on whether we had what the young people needed. Having a leader like that, always aware of what is going on and solving problems, both major and minor,” he said, “taught me the value of leadership. He didn’t need to say anything; all of us just learned from that.”
When Rwanda was finally liberated, Ambassador Sezibera and his unit were stationed on Jali Hill in 1994, where they fought. On the night of July 3, 1994, Habyarimana’s forces began fleeing the country, retreating from Kigali with haste.
As the situation improved and Rwanda was liberated, his team thought they would move into the city to assist in other tasks, but they were told it was not possible and that they needed to chase the fleeing forces out of the country.
“My unit was asked to join others to chase withdrawing forces up to Gisenyi and confirm they had crossed into Zaire. I actually never entered the capital with the rest. I went straight to Gisenyi,” he noted.
However, after three weeks, he received an urgent message requesting his return to Kigali, where he was appointed Secretary to President Pasteur Bizimungu.
He served in this role for a few months before being elected in 1995 as one of the six representatives of the army in the Transitional National Assembly, where he served until 1999.
“I was then appointed Rwanda’s Ambassador to the United States. After completing my tour of duty, I came back to Rwanda and became the President’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region for several years,” he revealed.
He later became Minister of Health, utilizing his medical background, and served as Secretary General of the East African Community from 2011 to 2016, followed by a stint as a Senator until 2018. In 2018, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, a role he held until November 2019.
Overcoming a stroke
The stroke occurred while he was one of the four Special Envoys of the Commonwealth. When asked how it happened, Sezibera remembers vividly that he was at work as usual and had gone for lunch when the stroke struck.
“I didn’t have any warning signs. I was in good health, and I was a sportsperson. At the time, I was doing my work, playing tennis as usual, and wasn’t overweight. I was a bit heavier than I wanted to be, but I wasn’t overweight. But today, I am on the path to recovery,” he says.
Sezibera shared that he is now feeling better and is in the process of recovering fully from the stroke, thanks to the excellent medical care he received, supported by the Rwandan government and his family.
“I am recovering, but it takes time. Let’s remember that I am not a very young man. If I had been in my twenties, then I would have probably recovered much faster than I have now.'
In the early months after the stroke, he used a wheelchair for about three months before beginning to walk independently. He mentioned that he was fortunate that his brain was not severely affected, allowing him to retain his ability to speak, remember, and function normally.
“It was a challenge for my family, but they have been very helpful. My wife and children were always there for me. I received very good support from the president and the government. I was provided with excellent medical care both in Rwanda and outside. It was a difficult time, but I am grateful we got through it.”
Among the lessons he learned from these challenges was the importance of God, country, and family.
Regarding future work, Sezibera indicates that he is focusing on his recovery, as that is also a task in itself.
However, in relation to his appointment as a WHO special envoy for health and education, he occasionally works with the team and writes to fulfill these responsibilities.
IGIHE
