The 5th President of Burundi, who served from February to July 1994, is known for his brief tenure and tragic assassination, which sparked a civil war and ethnic violence. He was a Hutu politician who tried to bring peace and stability to the country.
Cyprien Ntaryamira was a Burundian politician who served as the President of Burundi from February 1994 until his tragic death in April of the same year. He is known for his courageous efforts to restore peace, promote human rights, and resettle refugees in a country torn apart by ethnic conflict.
Born on March 6, 1955, in the Mageyo Zones commune of Mubimbi, Bujumbura Rural Province, Ruanda-Urundi, Ntaryamira was the sixth of eleven children in a Hutu family. He attended primary school in Rushubi before enrolling in the Collège du Saint-Esprit in Bujumbura in 1968.
In 1972, a Hutu rebellion against the regime of Tutsi President Michel Micombero led to a wave of anti-Hutu genocidal repression inflicted by the Burundian Army. To escape this violence, Ntaryamira fled to Rwanda, where he completed his education.
Active in the Burundian student movement, Ntaryamira co-founded the socialist Burundi Workers' Party (UBW) and earned an agricultural degree. In 1983, he returned to Burundi and worked in agricultural jobs, although he was briefly detained as a political prisoner.
In 1986, Ntaryamira co-founded the Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU), a party that would go on to play a significant role in Burundian politics. In 1993, FRODEBU won the country's general elections.
In 1993, Ntaryamira became the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry. Following an attempted coup in October of the same year, he survived and was later elected as the President of Burundi by the National Assembly in January 1994. After a prolonged constitutional dispute, he was inaugurated on February 5, 1994.
During his presidency, Ntaryamira declared that his top priorities would be restoring peace, promoting human rights, and resettling refugees. Although he faced significant challenges, he worked tirelessly to mitigate ethnic conflict and bring stability to his country.
Tragically, Ntaryamira's life was cut short on April 6, 1994, when the plane he was traveling in with Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana was shot down over Kigali, killing both leaders.
Despite his short time in office, Cyprien Ntaryamira left an indelible mark on Burundian politics and history. His commitment to peace, democracy, and human rights continues to inspire generations of Burundians and Africans around the world.
Through his courageous leadership and unwavering commitment to democracy, Cyprien Ntaryamira will forever be remembered as a champion of peace and human rights in Burundi.
73 Years Old
The first democratically elected president of Burundi, known for his efforts to bring peace and unity to the country after years of ethnic violence. His assassination sparked widespread unrest and international condemnation.
