Sylvestre Ntibantunganya

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[T]he president...is expected to be strong and authoritative. Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, however, was neither. He never directly sought the presidency...Within his own party he was accused of prolixity, hesitation, and indecisiveness. He lacked experience in either business or government, in making quick, firm decisions.

—United States Ambassador to Burundi Bob Krueger [26]

Faced with the spillover of the Rwandan Civil War, Ntibantunganya's government pursued a strict policy of neutrality, denying officials of the former Habyarimana regime residency in Bujumbura and refusing to allow French troops to use Burundi as a staging area for Opération Turquoise. In May Ntibantunganya met with RPF leader Pasteur Bizimungu. [27] The genocide created a refugee crisis; an estimated 300,000 Rwandans ultimately fled to Burundi, while approximately 180,000 Burundian exiles who had fled to Rwanda in October 1993 also returned. With international assistance, Ntibantunganya's government opened new refugee camps to house them. [22]

Over the course of 1994 the political and security situation in Burundi continued to deteriorate. Moderates in both UPRONA and FRODEBU were marginalised as radicals gained increasing influence and ethnic violence permeated the countryside. [28] By the middle of the year Ntibantunganya was the only original member of the FRODEBU central committee still actively engaged with the party and the civil political process, with the others having been killed or having fled into exile. [11] The party fractured into at least three groups, with the smallest section supporting Ntibantunganya, though many felt his cooperation with and concessions to the army and the opposition amounted to a capitulation. Another faction became a rebel group, the Conseil National Pour la Défense de la Démocratie – Forces pour la Défense de la Démocratie (CNDD–FDD). [28] His tenure as President of the National Assembly ended on 30 September 1994. [1] In early February 1995 Ntibantunganya dismissed two UPRONA ministers after they failed to show up to a cabinet meeting. [29] Later that month, UPRONA extremists—displeased with the coalition government—forced out Prime Minister Kanyenkiko and replaced him with Antoine Nduwayo. [30] Nduwayo actively undermined the president's policies. [25] In 1995 Ntibantunganya married his second wife, Pascasie Minani. [3]

In the summer of 1995 the Burundian Army purchased heavy weapons from China. Fearful of the implications of their arrival, Ntibantunganya quietly persuaded the Tanzanian government to delay the shipment on its soil. Under pressure from UN and domestically, Ntibantunganya was forced to let the arms be delivered. At the behest of Tutsi extremists he also convinced the National Assembly to grant the army and gendarmerie emergency powers to restrict freedom of movement and speech. [31]

With the civil war worsening and ethnic violence increasing, on 25 June 1996 Ntibantunganya participated in regional security talks in Mwanza, Tanzania. As a consequence of the meeting, the president and Nduwayo both agreed to appeal for "international military assistance". The Burundian Army feared this would mean its usurpation by foreign intervention, and UPRONA immediately denounced the proposal. Nduwayo then accused Ntibantunganya of subverting the military, and joined the thousands of others in the capital in marching against an intervention. On 20 July 300 Tutsis at a displaced persons camp were massacred, presumably by Hutu rebels. When Ntibantunganya attempted to attend a funeral for them three days later [32] the crowd of mourners attacked him with stones, forcing him to evacuate via helicopter. [33] Ntibantunganya then obtained intelligence which suggested his life was threatened. He refused to resign but asked for refuge at the United States Ambassador's residence, which was granted. On 25 July he went to the residence, while Nduwayo announced his government's resignation. [32] [34] Major Pierre Buyoya subsequently took power in a military coup. He announced the suspension of the constitution, the dissolution of the National Assembly, and the banning of political parties, but declared that he would guarantee Ntibantunganya's safety. [35] Ntibantunganya later entered negotiations with Buyoya, who agreed to provide him with a home in the Bujumbura suburb of Kiriri. He left the United States Embassy on 8 June 1997, saying, "I reaffirm that I shall not yield on the principle for a search for a negotiated solution for all problems that face our country." [2]

Later life

Ntibantunganya served as a senator for life as a former head of state from the implementation of the Arusha Accords until August 2018. [1] On 14 June 2007 his membership in FRODEBU was suspended. [36] He was a candidate in the 2015 Burundian presidential election. [37] In July he and several other opposition candidates dropped out of the race, citing concerns for their safety and fear that incumbent President Pierre Nkurunziza would rig the outcome in his favor. [38] The following year he spent several months in exile in Belgium. [39] In 2020 he led the East African Community's election monitoring team for Tanzania's general elections. [40] [41]

In 1999 Ntibantunganya released his first book, Démocratie (une) pour tous les Burundais, published by L'Harmattan. [42] He spent 14 years writing another book, Burundi, Démocratie piégée, which he published in 2019. [1] During the celebration of International book day on 23 April 2021 he lamented that Burundians "do not read" and called for the national promotion of literature. [42]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Nikiza, Egide (9 February 2019). "Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, une plume pour nourrir l'histoire". IWACU (in French). Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Former President Of Burundi Leaves Shelter of Embassy". The Washington Post (final ed.). Reuters. 8 June 1997. p. A28.
  3. 1 2 3 Sikuyavuga, Léandre (24 November 2018). "Au coin du feu avec Sylvestre Ntibantunganya". IWACU. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  4. ↑ Banshimiyubusa 2018, pp. 295–296.
  5. 1 2 Banshimiyubusa 2018, p. 296.
  6. ↑ Banshimiyubusa 2018, p. 310.
  7. ↑ Banshimiyubusa 2018, p. 329.
  8. ↑ Misser, François (1 April 1992). "Break-through in Burundi". Index on Censorship. Vol. 21, no. 4. p. 28.
  9. ↑ Banshimiyubusa 2018, pp. 360, 576.
  10. 1 2 Krueger & Krueger 2007, p. 8.
  11. 1 2 "Burundi : On a knife's edge". Africa Confidential. Vol. 35, no. 16. 1994.
  12. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack 1993, p. 832.
  13. ↑ Krueger & Krueger 2007, pp. 7–8.
  14. ↑ Krueger & Krueger 2007, pp. 8–9.
  15. ↑ Krueger & Krueger 2007, p. 9.
  16. ↑ Krueger & Krueger 2007, pp. 9–10.
  17. ↑ "Burundi's president tortured, official says". Toronto Star (final ed.). Associated Press & Reuters. 2 November 1993. p. A14.
  18. ↑ Reyntjens 2009, p. 35.
  19. 1 2 3 Banshimiyubusa 2018, p. 576.
  20. ↑ Keesing's Record 1994, p. R-6.
  21. 1 2 3 Waegenaere, Xavier (April 1996). "À la Mémoire de Cyprien Ntaryamira". Ijambo (in French). No. 14. Archived from the original on 10 April 2008.
  22. 1 2 3 Chretien & Mukuri 2002, p. 67.
  23. ↑ Lamb, David (4 June 1994). "Burundi Teeters Between Peace, Renewed Killing Africa". The Los Angeles Times. p. 10.
  24. ↑ "" Les Burundais ont le droit de savoir les circonstances dans lesquelles il a trouvé la mort "". Le Renouveau du Burundi (in French). 5 April 2018.
  25. 1 2 Watt 2008, p. 60.
  26. ↑ Krueger & Krueger 2007, pp. 139–140.
  27. ↑ Chretien & Mukuri 2002, p. 68.
  28. 1 2 Reyntjens 2009, p. 39.
  29. ↑ Zarembo, Alan; Watson, Catharine (March 1995). "Standing on the brink". Africa Report. Vol. 40, no. 2. p. 24.
  30. ↑ Krueger & Krueger 2007, pp. 143–144.
  31. ↑ Krueger & Krueger 2007, p. 256.
  32. 1 2 Reyntjens 2009, p. 41.
  33. ↑ Buckley, Stephen (24 July 1996). "Tutsis at Funeral for Colleagues Stone Hutu President of Burundi". The Washington Post (final ed.). p. A27.
  34. ↑ Watt 2008, p. 61.
  35. ↑ Buckley, Stephen (27 July 1996). "Constitution Suspended In Burundi; Leader Says Coup Was to 'Save' People". The Washington Post (final ed.). p. A17.
  36. ↑ "Burundi: Former president reacts on suspension from ex-ruling party". BBC Monitoring Africa – Political. 19 June 2007. ProQuest   458520625
  37. ↑ "Burundi – Presidential Candidates". Africa Research Bulletin : Political, Social and Cultural Series. Vol. 52. June 2015. p. 20558A.
  38. ↑ Odula, Tom (18 July 2015). "Opposition candidates quit Burundi presidential race". Hartford Courant. Associated Press. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  39. ↑ Uwimana, Diane (15 December 2016). "Rights groups warmly welcome Former Burundi President". IWACU English News. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  40. ↑ Kombe, Charles (1 November 2020). "Tanzania's Magufuli Wins Landslide Re-election". Voice of America. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  41. ↑ Ngowi, Deus (20 October 2020). "East Africa: EAC Observers Ready for Duty". allAfrica. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  42. 1 2 Kwizera, Emery (24 April 2021). "Littérature: l'ancien président Ntibantunganya réclame une politique qui encourage la lecture". IWACU (in French). Retrieved 26 August 2021.

Works cited

Sylvestre Ntibantunganya
Visit of Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, President of Burundi, to the EC (cropped).jpg
Ntibantunganya in 1994
6th President of Burundi
In office
6 April 1994 –25 July 1996
Political offices
Preceded by President of Burundi
1994–1996		Succeeded by
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