History of Burundi facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Burundi started as a small kingdom in Africa around the 1500s. It's located in the Great Lakes region. Later, European countries like Germany and Belgium took control. They combined Burundi with Rwanda to form a colony called Ruanda-Urundi. In 1962, the colony became independent and split back into two separate countries: Rwanda and Burundi. Burundi is special because it's one of the few African countries that kept its original borders from before colonial times.

The Kingdom of Burundi (1680–1966)
Independence (1962)
- Violence in 1972
- After 1972
Civil War (1993–2005)
Burundi Today (2005–Present)
See also

The Kingdom of Burundi (1680–1966)

The story of Burundi's beginnings comes from old stories passed down through generations and from things found by archaeologists. Two main legends tell how Burundi was founded. Both say a man named Cambarantama started the nation. One popular story says Cambarantama came from a southern state called Buha.

The first signs of the Burundian state appeared in the 1500s in the eastern hills. Over the next centuries, the kingdom grew bigger. It took over smaller neighboring areas and competed with Rwanda. Its biggest growth happened under Ntare IV Rutaganzwa Rugamba, who ruled from about 1796 to 1850. During his time, the kingdom doubled in size!

The Kingdom of Burundi had a clear system of power. The king, called the mwami, was at the top. Below him was a group of princes, known as ganwa. These princes owned most of the land. Farmers and herders had to pay a tax or tribute to them. Around the mid-1700s, the Tutsi royalty gained more control over land and goods. They created a system called ubugabire. In this system, people received protection from the king in exchange for tribute and the right to use land.

European Contact (1856)

European explorers and missionaries first visited the area briefly in 1856. They thought the way the Kingdom of Burundi was organized was similar to ancient Greek empires. However, Burundi didn't become part of German East Africa until 1899. Unlike the Rwandan king, who accepted the Germans, Burundi's king Mwezi IV Gisabo did not want any European influence. He refused to wear European clothes and stopped missionaries or administrators from coming in.

German East Africa (1899–1916)

The Germans used force and caused a lot of damage, but they couldn't completely destroy the king's power. Eventually, they supported one of the king's sons-in-law, Maconco, in a revolt against Gisabo. King Gisabo was forced to give in and agreed to German rule. The Germans then helped him stop Maconco's revolt. Smaller kingdoms along the western shore of Lake Victoria also became part of Burundi.

Even after this, there were very few foreigners in Burundi, and the kings continued to rule much as before. However, the Europeans brought terrible diseases that affected both people and animals. Burundi was hit especially hard. A big famine happened in 1905, and others struck the entire Great Lakes region in 1914, 1923, and 1944. Between 1905 and 1914, half the people in the western plains region died.

Belgian and United Nations Rule (1916–1962)

In 1916, Belgian troops took over the area during the First World War. In 1923, the League of Nations gave Belgium control over the territory of Ruanda-Urundi. This area included modern-day Rwanda and Burundi. The Belgians ruled the territory by working with the existing Tutsi-led leadership.

After the Second World War, Ruanda-Urundi became a United Nations Trust Territory. This meant the United Nations oversaw Belgium's rule. The rules for trust territories said they should be prepared for independence. But it wasn't until November 10, 1959, that Belgium agreed to political changes and allowed political parties to form.

On January 20, 1959, Burundi's ruler, Mwami Mwambutsa IV, asked Belgium for Burundi's independence. He also wanted the Ruanda-Urundi union to end. In the following months, Burundian political parties started pushing for an end to Belgian colonial rule and for Rwanda and Burundi to separate. The first and largest of these parties was the Union for National Progress (UPRONA). UPRONA was a party for different ethnic groups, led by Tutsi Prince Louis Rwagasore. Another party, the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), was supported by Belgium.

Burundi's first elections happened on September 8, 1961. UPRONA won over 80% of the votes. After the elections, on October 13, the 29-year-old Prince Rwagasore was killed. This was a great loss for Burundi, as he was its most popular nationalist leader.

Independence (1962)

The flag of the Kingdom of Burundi (1962–1966).

Independence Square and monument in Bujumbura.

Burundi became fully independent on July 1, 1962. At that time, its democratic systems were not very strong. The Tutsi King Mwambutsa IV Bangiriceng set up a constitutional monarchy. This government included an equal number of Hutu and Tutsi people. On January 15, 1965, the Hutu prime minister Pierre Ngendandumwe was killed. This led to a series of Hutu revolts and government crackdowns.

These events were partly a reaction to Rwanda's "Social Revolution" from 1959–1961. In Rwanda, Tutsi people faced violence from the new Hutu government. In Burundi, the Tutsi became determined to avoid a similar fate. Much of the country's military and police forces came under Tutsi control. Unlike Rwanda, which sided with the United States during the Cold War, Burundi after independence became friends with China.

The monarchy refused to accept the wins by Hutu candidates in the legislative elections held on May 10, 1965. In response, a group of Hutu tried to overthrow the monarchy on October 18, 1965. This attempt failed and led to the killing of many Hutu politicians and thinkers. On July 8, 1966, King Mwambutsa IV was removed from power by his son, Prince Ntare V. Then, on November 28, 1966, Prince Ntare V was also removed by his prime minister, Captain Michel Micombero. Micombero ended the monarchy and declared Burundi a republic. A military government took over, and unrest continued through the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Violence in 1972

On April 29, 1972, violence broke out in the south of the country. Groups of Hutu attacked Tutsi civilians. All government and military leaders in the city of Bururi were killed. The attackers then took weapons from towns like Rumonge and Nyanza-Lac. They tried to kill every Tutsi they could find, as well as some Hutu who refused to join the rebellion. Then they went to Vyanda and announced a "Republic of Martyazo." About 800 to 1200 people were killed.

A week later, government troops moved in. President Micombero declared martial law on May 30. He asked Zairean President Mobutu Sese Seko for help. Troops from Congo secured the airport while the Burundi army moved into the countryside. What followed was a terrible killing of Hutu civilians. This violence continued until August. By then, almost every educated Hutu, even high school students, was either dead or had fled.

The people who carried out these killings were government troops and the Jeunesses Révolutionnaires Rwagasore (JRR), the youth group of the ruling party. They targeted civil servants, educated men, and university students just because they were Hutu. One of the first people killed was the former king, Ntare V.

As president, Micombero supported African socialism and received help from China. He enforced strict law and order, stopping Hutu military actions. From late April to September 1972, an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 Hutu were killed. About 300,000 people became refugees, with most fleeing to Tanzania.

After 1972

In 1976, Colonel Jean-Baptiste Bagaza took power in a peaceful overthrow. Even though Bagaza led a Tutsi-dominated military government, he encouraged land reform and national reconciliation. In 1981, a new constitution was created. In 1984, Bagaza was elected head of state. After his election, his human rights record got worse. He stopped religious activities and arrested people who opposed him.

In 1987, Major Pierre Buyoya overthrew Colonel Bagaza in a military takeover. He banned opposition parties and suspended the constitution. He set up his own ruling Military Committee. In 1988, growing tensions between the ruling Tutsis and the majority Hutus led to violent clashes. During this time, about 150,000 people were killed. Tens of thousands of refugees fled to neighboring countries. Buyoya then formed a group to look into the causes of the 1988 unrest. This group also worked to create a plan for democratic changes.

In 1991, Buyoya approved a new constitution. It created a president, a government not based on ethnicity, and a parliament. Burundi's first Hutu president, Melchior Ndadaye, was elected in 1993. He belonged to the Hutu-dominated Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) Party.

Civil War (1993–2005)

Ndadaye was killed three months later, in October 1993, by Tutsi army extremists. The country quickly became unstable. Hutu farmers began to rise up and kill Tutsi people. In terrible acts of revenge, the Tutsi army rounded up thousands of Hutu and killed them. The Rwandan genocide in 1994, which started after Ndadaye's successor Cyprien Ntaryamira was killed, made the conflict in Burundi even worse. This led to more killings of Tutsis.

A civil war followed for ten years. Hutu groups formed militias in refugee camps in northern Tanzania. About 300,000 people were killed in fights and revenge attacks. Also, 550,000 citizens (nine percent of the population) had to leave their homes. After Ntaryamira's death, the Hutu presidency and Tutsi military shared power until July 1996. Then, Tutsi Pierre Buyoya took power in a military takeover. With pressure from other countries, the fighting groups agreed to a peace deal in Arusha in 2000. This agreement called for a military and government balanced between ethnic groups, and for democratic elections.

Two strong Hutu rebel groups, the CNDD-FDD and the FNL, refused to sign the peace agreement. Fighting continued in the countryside. Finally, the CNDD-FDD agreed to sign a peace deal in November 2003. They joined the temporary government. The last rebel group, the FNL, kept rejecting the peace process. They carried out occasional acts of violence in 2003 and 2004. They finally signed a ceasefire agreement in 2006.

Burundi Today (2005–Present)

Post-War Elections

In 2005, Burundi began to move towards peace. It held its first elections since 1993. The CNDD-FDD party won both the local and legislative elections. An election for president happened in August 2005. The members of the legislature and senate elected Pierre Nkurunziza. He was a former teacher and a CNDD rebel leader. He won with 151 out of 161 votes.

Nkurunziza's Time in Power (2005–2020)

Peace brought a time when the ruling CNDD-FDD party was very strong in Burundi. President Pierre Nkurunziza and a small group of military generals from his party had tight control over the country.

In 2005, Pierre Nkurunziza became the first president after the war. He was chosen by the National Assembly and Senate.

Former President Domitien Ndayizeye and his supporters were arrested in 2006. They were accused of planning a takeover, but later the Supreme Court found them not guilty. In December 2006, a group called the International Crisis Group said that human rights in Burundi were getting worse. They reported that the government arrested critics, controlled the news, and committed human rights abuses.

In February 2007, the United Nations officially ended its peacekeeping work in Burundi. It then focused on helping the nation's economy. Burundi's economy relies a lot on tea and coffee. It had suffered badly during 12 years of civil war. The UN had sent 5,600 peacekeepers since 2004. A few hundred troops stayed to work with the African Union to watch over the ceasefire. The UN Post Conflict Fund promised $35 million to Burundi. This money was for building roads, promoting democracy, rebuilding the military, and protecting human rights.

2010 Elections

Nkurunziza was re-elected in 2010 with over 91% of the votes. This happened even though the opposition parties boycotted the election. He was sworn in for his second term on August 26, 2010.

2015 Unrest

In April 2015, Nkurunziza announced he would try for a third term as president. The opposition said this went against the constitution, which limits the president to two terms. However, Nkurunziza's supporters argued that his first term didn't count because he was chosen by parliament, not directly by the people. On April 26, police clashed with people protesting Nkurunziza's announcement. At least six people were killed in the first two days of protests. The government shut down several radio stations and arrested a well-known civil society leader. More than 24,000 people fled Burundi in April as tensions grew before the June presidential elections.

On May 13, 2015, a general in the Burundi army, Godefroid Niyombareh, declared a coup on the radio. This happened while Nkurunziza was in Tanzania for a meeting. Niyombareh had been fired by the President in February. Even though there were reports of gunshots and celebrations in the capital, government officials said they were still in control.

Opposition groups announced on June 26 that they would boycott the election.

After the election was held on July 21, without the opposition, the main opposition leader suggested forming a national unity government. He warned that more violence could happen. He said Nkurunziza's third term would need to be much shorter, and new elections would have to be held. The government welcomed the idea of a unity government but rejected shortening Nkurunziza's term.

The presidential election results were announced on July 24, 2015. Nkurunziza won with 69.41% of the vote.

On September 30, 2016, the United Nations Human Rights Council created a group to investigate human rights issues in Burundi. This group's job is to look into human rights violations since April 2015, find those responsible, and suggest solutions.

After 2015

In a vote in May 2018, Burundians approved changes to the constitution. This meant Nkurunziza could stay in power until 2034. However, to many people's surprise, Nkurunziza later said he would not seek another term. This cleared the way for a new president to be elected in the 2020 General Election.

On December 24, 2018, the government moved Burundi's political capital from Bujumbura back to Gitega. Gitega had been the capital until 1966.

The government officially downplayed the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. The President's office warned people against "hasty, extreme, unilateral measures" against the virus.

After Nkurunziza (2020–Present)

On May 20, 2020, Évariste Ndayishimiye won the election with 71.45% of the vote. He was chosen by the CNDD-FDD party to be Nkurunziza's successor. Shortly after, on June 9, 2020, Nkurunziza died at age 55. There was some talk that his death was related to COVID-19, but this is not confirmed. According to the constitution, Pascal Nyabenda, the head of the national assembly, led the government until Ndayishimiye's inauguration on June 18, 2020.

At first, Ndayishimiye responded more strongly to the COVID-19 pandemic than the previous president. He called the virus the nation's "worst enemy." In January 2021, he closed national borders. He had previously said that anyone bringing Covid into Burundi would be treated like "people bringing weapons to kill Burundians." However, in February 2021, Burundi and Tanzania were the only African nations to refuse vaccines from the COVAX program. The health minister said that since most patients were recovering, vaccines were not yet necessary. As of June 2021, Burundi had still not tried to get any vaccines.