The BurundiNational Defence Force is the state military organisation responsible for the defence of Burundi.
Burundi originated in the 16th century as a small kingdom in the African Great Lakes region. After European contact, it was united with the Kingdom of Rwanda, becoming the colony of Ruanda-Urundi - first colonised by Germany and then by Belgium. The colony gained independence in 1962, and split once again into Rwanda and Burundi. It is one of the few countries in Africa to be a direct territorial continuation of a pre-colonial era African state.
The National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy is the major political party in Burundi. During the Burundian Civil War, the CNDD–FDD was the most significant rebel group active and became a major political party in Burundi. The party's rule has been described as authoritarian.
Pierre Nkurunziza was a Burundian politician who served as the ninth president of Burundi for almost 15 years from August 2005 until his death in June 2020.
The University of Burundi is a public university located in Bujumbura, Burundi. Founded in 1964, it comprises eight faculties and five institutes and has a student enrollment of approximately 13,000. It is based in three campuses in Bujumbura and a fourth in Gitega. It took its current name in 1977 and is Burundi's only publicly funded university.
The Senate is the upper chamber of Parliament in Burundi. It consists of between 39 and 56 members who serve 5-year terms. The current Senate was elected on 20 July 2020 and consists of 39 members. Under the newly promulgated 2018 constitution and following the new administrative division, the senate similarly to the national assembly saw its number of seats reduced. The senate goes from 39 seats to 13 seats starting from the 2025 legislative elections.
Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with population of over 14 million people. It is bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and southeast, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; Lake Tanganyika lies along its southwestern border. The capital city is Gitega and the largest city is Bujumbura.
Parliamentary elections were held in Burundi on 23 July 2010. The opposition parties boycotted the election after also boycotting the presidential election.
Hope Africa University (HAU) was established in 2000 with support from the Free Methodist Church in Karen, Kenya. It relocated to Bujumbura in December 2003. At that time, it had 110 students. It is considered Burundi's best private university and receives the most applicants per year. HAU is the largest and fastest growing private university in Burundi with a peak enrollment of 1,700 students prior to civic disruption in 2015. Since 2015, enrollment has been gradually recovering with a large portion of the student body coming from surrounding Central African countries. HAU was presided by Sylvain Nzohabonayo until 2017 when Dr. Victor Barantota,, succeeded him as rector. In 2020 HAU was ranked 4th of 7 universities in Burundi by University Guru. Many of Burundi's religious, political and business leaders have attended HAU, including Denise Bucumi Nkurunziza, the wife of the former Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza.
Ezéchiel Nibigira is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Burundi. He was previously Ambassador of Burundi in Kenya and leader of the youth wing of Burundi's ruling party CNDD-FDD. He was also a Member of Parliament representing Bujumbura rural where he chaired Burundi's parliament's Finance committee. Prior to his current post Nibigira was head of Burundi's customs as well as imports and exports. During President Pierre Nkurunziza's 2010 elections campaign, Nibigira was a chief campaign manager. Nibigira earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business from Hope Africa University.
Parliamentary elections were held in Burundi on 29 June 2015. The vote had been initially set for 5 June 2015, alongside local elections, but it was delayed due to unrest. Indirect elections to the Senate occurred on 24 July.
On 25 April 2015, the ruling political party in Burundi, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), announced that the incumbent President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, would run for a third term in the 2015 presidential election. The announcement sparked protests by those opposed to Nkurunziza seeking a third term in office.
On 13 May 2015, army general Godefroid Niyombare said that he was "dismissing President Pierre Nkurunziza" following the 2015 Burundian unrest. However, the presidency tweeted that the "situation is under control" and there is "no coup".
Godefroid Niyombare is a Burundian military officer who led a coup attempt against President Pierre Nkurunziza on 13 May 2015. At the time of the coup attempt, Niyombare was a Major General. He previously served as military chief of staff and as Burundi's Ambassador to Kenya, and was head of the National Intelligence Service from December 2014, when he replaced Adolphe Nshimirimana, until February 2015, when he was dismissed by Nkurunziza and replaced by Major-General Moïse Pasteur Bucumi.
Adolphe Nshimirimana was a Burundian military general who served as army chief of staff, as well as a senior presidential adviser for internal security and close political ally of President Pierre Nkurunziza. Observers viewed Lt. Gen. Nshimirimana as Nkurunziza's de facto internal security chief as head of the National Intelligence Service. He was born at Nyabiraba in Gishubi Commune, Gitega Province.
Emmanuel Niyonkuru was a Burundian politician.
Burundi–India relations are the international relations that exist between Burundi and India. Apart from bilateral relations, India also engages with Burundi through the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs).
Clotilde Niragira was a Burundian politician and lawyer. She served as head of three separate ministries in Pierre Nkurunziza's government and was Secretary-General of Burundi's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
General Évariste Ndayishimiye is a Burundian politician who has served as the tenth President of Burundi since 18 June 2020. He became involved in the rebel National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy during the Burundian Civil War and rose up the ranks of its militia. At the end of the conflict, he entered the Burundian Army and held a number of political offices under the auspices of President Pierre Nkurunziza. Nkurunziza endorsed Ndayishimiye as his successor ahead of the 2020 elections which he won with a large majority.
Révérien Ndikuriyo is a Burundian politician, currently serving as secretary-general of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD–FDD), a position he has held since 2021. From 2015 to 2020, he served as president of the Senate. He has also served as president of the Football Federation of Burundi since 2013.
