Sylvestre Ntibantunganya facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sylvestre Ntibantunganya
Ntibantunganya in 1994
6th President of Burundi
In office 6 April 1994 – 25 July 1996
Prime Minister	Anatole Kanyenkiko (1994–1995) Antoine Nduwayo (1995–1996)
Preceded by	Cyprien Ntaryamira
Succeeded by	Pierre Buyoya
President of the National Assembly of Burundi
In office 23 December 1993 – 30 September 1994
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Burundi
In office 10 July 1993 – 22 December 1993
Personal details
Born	(1956-05-08) 8 May 1956 (age 69) Commune of Gishubi, Gitega, Burundi
Political party	Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) Burundi Workers' Party (UBU)
Spouses	Eusébie Nshimirimana (until 1993) Pascasie Minani (from 1995)
Occupation	Politician • Author

Sylvestre Ntibantunganya (born 8 May 1956) is a Burundian politician. He served as the President of Burundi from April 1994 to July 1996. Before becoming president, he was the President of the National Assembly (Burundi's parliament) from December 1993 to September 1994.

Ntibantunganya is from the Hutu ethnic group. He became involved in politics in the 1970s. He helped create the Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) party in 1986. In 1993, he was elected to the National Assembly. He then became the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Burundi faced a difficult period with a civil war between Hutus and Tutsis. This began after President Melchior Ndadaye was killed in a coup attempt in October 1993. Ntibantunganya became the interim president after Ndadaye's successor, Cyprien Ntaryamira, also died in April 1994. He became the official president later that year.

In 1996, Ntibantunganya was removed from power during another coup. Pierre Buyoya took over as president. After the civil war ended in 2005, Ntibantunganya became a senator for life. This was part of the peace agreements. He served as a senator until 2018. He also ran for president in 2015 but was not successful.

Early Life and Education

Sylvestre Ntibantunganya was born on 8 May 1956. His birthplace was the Commune of Gishubi in Gitega Province, Burundi. He is a member of the Hutu ethnic group.

As a child, he wanted to become a priest. He attended a seminary after primary school. However, he left after his first semester. He then went to university. In 1984, he earned a bachelor's degree. His studies were in history and geography. He wanted to be a teacher but could not find a job. From 1984 to 1987, he worked as a journalist. He worked for Burundi National Radio and Television.

Political Journey

Starting in Politics and FRODEBU

In the 1970s, Ntibantunganya joined a student group. This group was called the Movement of Progressive Barundi Students. In 1979, some students from this group started the Burundi Workers' Party (UBU). This party believed in revolutionary socialism. To join, a person needed a sponsor and had to learn about Marxism. Ntibantunganya joined the party and became a full member after three months. By 1981, he was a national secretary for the party's foreign relations.

The UBU party had different ideas within it. One group wanted armed revolution. Another group, led by Ntibantunganya and Melchior Ndadaye, wanted democracy. Because of these differences, Ntibantunganya and Ndadaye left the UBU party in 1983.

In 1988, President Pierre Buyoya created a group to study ethnic divisions. This group aimed to create a plan for national unity. Ntibantunganya was part of this group. They created a "Charter of National Unity." However, some Hutu politicians did not like it. They felt it was controlled by Tutsis. Ntibantunganya later said the project did not work well.

In 1991, he started a newspaper called Tujujurane. In 1986, he helped create the Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) party. He also edited its newspaper, L'Aube de la Démocratie (meaning "Dawn of Democracy"). By 1993, he was on the party's main committee.

Minister and National Assembly President

In the elections on 29 June 1993, Ntibantunganya was elected. He won a seat in the National Assembly for Gitega. On 10 July, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He served in the government of Prime Minister Sylvie Kinigi.

On 21 October 1993, Tutsi soldiers tried to take over the government. They attacked the presidential palace. President Ndadaye's wife warned Ntibantunganya. He quickly called other FRODEBU leaders. He also contacted the United States embassy. He wanted to make sure the US would speak out against the coup.

Ntibantunganya then decided to hide. He changed into his gardener's clothes. He walked to a friend's house and stayed hidden for two days. Sadly, his wife, Eusébie Nshimirimana, was killed by soldiers while trying to hide. Their baby survived. Ntibantunganya later found safety at the French embassy. Other government officials were there too. President Ndadaye was killed during the coup. This made Ntibantunganya the temporary leader of FRODEBU. He resigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs on 22 December 1993. The next day, he was elected President of the National Assembly.

FRODEBU then needed to choose a new president. Ntibantunganya decided not to be a candidate. He wanted to focus on party matters. Instead, Cyprien Ntaryamira became the new president. He was sworn in on 5 February 1994.

President of Burundi

On 6 April 1994, President Ntaryamira was on a plane with the Rwandan President. The plane was shot down over Kigali. Everyone on board died. This event led to the Rwandan genocide. After the crash, Ntibantunganya spoke on Burundi television. He asked everyone to stay calm. He believed Ntaryamira was not the target of the attack.

According to the constitution, Ntibantunganya became the interim President of Burundi. This was because he was the President of the National Assembly. Prime Minister Anatole Kanyenkiko and his government resigned. However, they stayed in power until a new government was formed. Ntibantunganya and Kanyenkiko worked well together.

The Rwandan Civil War caused problems for Burundi. Ntibantunganya's government stayed neutral. They did not allow Rwandan officials to live in Burundi. They also refused to let French troops use Burundi as a base. In May, Ntibantunganya met with Rwandan leader Pasteur Bizimungu. The genocide also created a refugee crisis. Many Rwandans fled to Burundi. Many Burundians who had fled to Rwanda also returned. Ntibantunganya's government opened new refugee camps with international help.

In 1994, the situation in Burundi became worse. Extreme groups gained power. Ethnic violence increased in the countryside. By mid-1994, Ntibantunganya was one of the few FRODEBU leaders still active. Other leaders had been killed or fled. The FRODEBU party split into groups. One group supported Ntibantunganya. Another group became a rebel group called CNDD–FDD. His time as President of the National Assembly ended on 30 September 1994.

In early 1995, Ntibantunganya removed two ministers from the UPRONA party. They had not attended a cabinet meeting. Later that month, UPRONA extremists forced Prime Minister Kanyenkiko out. Antoine Nduwayo replaced him. Nduwayo often worked against the president's plans. In 1995, Ntibantunganya married his second wife, Pascasie Minani.

In 1995, the Burundian Army bought weapons from China. Ntibantunganya quietly asked Tanzania to delay the shipment. He feared what the weapons would mean. But under pressure, he had to let the arms be delivered. He also convinced the National Assembly to give the army special powers. These powers limited freedom of movement and speech.

The civil war and ethnic violence got worse. On 25 June 1996, Ntibantunganya attended regional security talks. He and Prime Minister Nduwayo agreed to ask for "international military assistance." The Burundian Army feared this meant foreign troops would take over. UPRONA immediately spoke out against it. Nduwayo then accused Ntibantunganya of hurting the military. He joined thousands of people protesting against foreign help.

On 20 July, 300 Tutsis were killed at a camp. Hutu rebels were likely responsible. When Ntibantunganya tried to attend their funeral three days later, people attacked him with stones. He had to leave by helicopter. Ntibantunganya then learned his life was in danger. He refused to resign but asked for safety at the United States Ambassador's home. This was granted. On 25 July, he went to the residence. Nduwayo announced his government's resignation. Major Pierre Buyoya then took power in a military coup. Buyoya suspended the constitution and banned political parties. But he promised to keep Ntibantunganya safe. Ntibantunganya later negotiated with Buyoya. He was given a home in Bujumbura. He left the US Embassy on 8 June 1997. He said he would keep working for a peaceful solution for Burundi.

Later Life

Ntibantunganya became a senator for life. This was because he was a former head of state. This role started with the Arusha Accords peace agreement. He served as a senator until August 2018.

On 14 June 2007, his membership in the FRODEBU party was suspended. He ran as a candidate in the 2015 Burundian presidential election. In July, he and other opposition candidates left the race. They were worried about their safety. They also feared that President Pierre Nkurunziza would rig the election. The next year, he lived in Belgium for several months. In 2020, he led the East African Community's team. This team watched the general elections in Tanzania.

In 1999, Ntibantunganya published his first book. It was called Démocratie (une) pour tous les Burundais. He spent 14 years writing another book. This book, Burundi, Démocratie piégée, was published in 2019. On 23 April 2021, during International Book Day, he said that Burundians "do not read." He asked for more promotion of reading in the country.

See also

• In Spanish: Sylvestre Ntibantunganya para niños