Godefroid Niyombare

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In the midst of protests against Nkurunziza's bid for a third term, which many viewed as unconstitutional, Niyombare announced from a private radio station on 13 May 2015 that he was deposing the President, who was at the time at talks in neighboring Tanzania. Speaking alongside other top officers, he blamed Nkurunziza for causing the situation by pursuing his controversial presidential candidacy. On the streets, people opposed to Nkurunziza celebrated the announcement, and despite government denials, initial reports suggested that Niyombare's coup had been successful. Nkurunziza promptly tried to return home, but was apparently unable to do so due to rebel control of the Bujumbura airport.

Nkurunziza loyalists resisted and declared that the coup had been defeated. On 14 May, rebel soldiers attacked the state radio and television broadcaster, but they were repelled by loyalist forces. In the wake of this failure, the coup crumbled. Early on 15 May, Niyombare said that he and the other coup leaders had decided to surrender to government forces. Niyombare said that he hoped the loyalists would not kill them. [14] The government announced that he had been captured but that statement was retracted later that day. [15]

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References

  1. https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/13712.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  2. "Général Major Godefroid Niyombare, nouvel ambassadeur du Burundi au Kenya" (in French). IGIHE. 21 February 2014.
  3. "Approbation de l'ambassadeur du Burundi au Kenya" (in French). Bujanews. 31 December 2014.
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  8. "Le général Niyombare à la tête de la nouvelle rébellion au Burundi" (in French). Voice of America. 21 January 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Ex- Hutu rebel voted army chief". news24. 17 April 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  10. 1 2 "Burundi coup bid: President Nkurunziza's return 'thwarted'". BBC. 14 May 2015.
  11. "Burundi sends 1,000 extra AU troops to Somalia". Reuters. March 12, 2011. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012.
  12. AFP 14/3/2011, reported in ARB-PSC March 1–31, 2011, p.18776C.
  13. "Expert: General Behind Burundi Coup is Well Respected". VOA News. 13 May 2015.
  14. "Burundi coup chief Niyombare says putsch plotters surrender", AFP, 15 May 2015.
  15. Goran Tomasevic, "Burundi says it arrests leader of failed coup", Reuters, 15 May 2015.
Godefroid Niyombare
Ambassador of Burundi to Kenya
In office
February 2014 December 2014