Paul Rusesabagina, born on June 15, 1954, is a Rwandan humanitarian and former hotel manager best known for his actions during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. While managing the Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali, he sheltered 1,268 people both Hutu and Tutsi protecting them from militia attacks. None of the refugees under his care were harmed. His story later inspired the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda, where he was portrayed by actor Don Cheadle. The movie brought him international recognition but also sparked debate within Rwanda about how events were portrayed.
Paul Rusesabagina Profile
| Name | Paul Rusesabagina |
| Real Name | Paul Rusesabagina |
| Date of Birth | 15 June 1954 |
| Age | 71 years |
| Nationality | Rwandan |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Occupation | Humanitarian and Former Hotel Manager |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Net Worth | $3 Million |
| Copied from | contents101.com |
Educational background
Paul Rusesabagina was born in Murama, Rwanda, to a Hutu father, Thomas Rupfure, and a Tutsi mother. He was one of nine children. Though his family lived modestly, he described his upbringing as middle class by African standards of the 1950s. He attended schools run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church near Gitwe, where he learned English and French in addition to his native Kinyarwanda. His education and multilingual ability later helped him in his hospitality career.
Career
Rusesabagina began working in the hotel industry after completing his studies, rising through the ranks to become the manager of Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali. During the genocide in 1994, his calm negotiation skills and courage helped protect more than a thousand refugees from death.
After leaving Rwanda in 1996 due to safety concerns, he moved to Belgium and later became a public speaker, sharing his experiences and advocating for peace and human rights. In 2006, he founded the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation to support victims of conflict in Africa. He also entered politics, forming the PDR-Ihumure party and serving as president of the MRCD coalition.
For his courage during the genocide, Rusesabagina received several international honors, including the Tom Lantos Human Rights Prize from the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice. He was celebrated around the world as a symbol of moral strength and humanity.
Controversies
Despite his hero image abroad, Rusesabagina’s later years were clouded by political tension and controversy. The Rwandan government accused him of supporting rebel activities through the FLN (National Liberation Front), an armed group linked to attacks in southern Rwanda in 2018 that killed nine people.
In August 2020, he was tricked into boarding a plane he believed was heading to Burundi but was instead flown to Kigali. He was arrested and charged with terrorism and other related crimes. In September 2021, a Rwandan court sentenced him to 25 years in prison. Human rights groups, including the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and Human Rights Watch, criticized the trial as unfair and politically motivated. After serving two years, his sentence was commuted by President Paul Kagame in 2023.
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Personal Life
Rusesabagina married his first wife, Esther, with whom he had three children: Diane, Lys, and Roger. The couple separated in 1981, and he later met Tatiana, a nurse, at a wedding in 1987. They married two years later, and she adopted his children.
Together, they had two more children, though only one, a son named Tresor, survived infancy. The family has lived in Belgium and the United States, where Rusesabagina holds Belgian citizenship and a U.S. green card.
Paul Rusesabagina Net Worth
Paul Rusesabagina’s net worth is estimated to be around to $3 million.