Rwandan PM resigns

Rwandan Prime Minister Pierre-Celestin Rwigema has resigned amid mounting allegations of corruption.

Over the past year he has been severely criticised and appeared several times before the Rwandan parliament to defend himself.

Last week he was summoned by parliament to explain why 250 tons of pesticide had been dumped just outside the capital, although the European Union had granted $1m to have it destroyed.

He was also due to face a fresh corruption inquiry next month after being accused of misappropriating education funds.

In December, he survived a close parliamentary no-confidence vote over the diversion of funds from a $26m World Bank education project when he was education minister in 1994.

Mr Rwigema's party, the Democratic Republican Movement or MDR, has been a part of Rwanda's government of national unity established after Tutsi-led rebels took power following the Rwandan genocide of 1994.

Genocide role

In April last year, Mr Rwigema asked for forgiveness for the role the MDR played in the genocide.

A faction of his predominantly Hutu party helped carry out the genocide, in which about 800,000 people, mainly Tutsis, were estimated to have been killed.

His departure comes two months after the sudden resignation and exile of parliamentary speaker Joseph Sebarenzi.

Since Mr Rwigema took over following the resignation of his predecessor Faustin Twagiramungu in August 1995, several Hutu ministers have resigned and left the country.

Mr Twagiramungu, another Hutu, is now in exile in Belgium.