Boniface Benzinge


Boniface Benzinge is a Rwandan leader of his country's government in pretense, which styles itself as a monarchy-in-exile. He is the chief of the Abiru, hereditary privy councillors to the Mwami of Rwanda.

Life

A member of a family of royal historians, Benzinge was a courtier to King Kigeli V - the last reigning king of his country, who was forcibly deposed in 1961 after ruling for just two years - until his death in 2016.
Following that event, Benzinge and his fellow Abiru announced his nephew as Kigeli's titular successor. Although a faction of the royal family opposed this act, the new king was nevertheless subsequently crowned as Yuhi VI in 2017.
Since that event, Benzinge has continued to serve as the head of the royal court.