Sylvie Kinigi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sylvie Kinigi
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Kinigi in 1993
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| President of Burundi | |
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Acting
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| In office 27 October 1993 – 5 February 1994 |
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| Preceded by | François Ngeze (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Cyprien Ntaryamira |
| Prime Minister of Burundi | |
| In office 10 July 1993 – 5 February 1994 |
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| President | Melchior Ndadaye |
| Preceded by | Adrien Sibomana |
| Succeeded by | Anatole Kanyenkiko |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sylvie Ntigashira
24 November 1953 Mugoyi, Ruanda-Urundi (today Bujumbura Rural Province, Burundi) |
| Political party | Union pour le Progrès national |
| Alma mater | University of Burundi |
Sylvie Kinigi (born 24 November 1953) is a politician and economist from Burundi, a country in Africa. She made history by becoming the second African woman to serve as a president. She was the Prime Minister of Burundi from July 1993 to February 1994. She also served as the acting president from November 1993 to February 1994.
Contents
Early Life and School
Sylvie Ntigashira was born on 24 November 1953. Her birthplace was Mugoyi, which is now part of Bujumbura Rural Province in Burundi. She is from the Tutsi ethnic group. Her father was a merchant, and her mother took care of their home and farm.
Sylvie was the third of six children. She was able to go to school while her older sister helped their mother. Nuns taught her in primary and secondary school. In 1979, she graduated from the University of Burundi. She earned a degree in banking and credit. Later, in 1990, she got another diploma from a banking school in Paris, France.
In 1973, Sylvie married Firmin Kinigi, who had been one of her teachers. He was from the Hutu ethnic group. They had four or five children together. Her husband supported her desire to continue her education and career. He passed away in the early 1990s.
Her Career in Government
Starting in Politics
Burundi became an independent country in July 1962. For about 30 years, the government was mostly controlled by Tutsi military officers. Sylvie Kinigi believed that democracy was introduced too quickly. This led to political groups forming based on ethnic lines, which increased tensions.
Kinigi was part of the Union pour le Progrès national (UPRONA) party. At that time, it was the only legal political party in Burundi. She was also an active member of the Union des Femmes Burundaises, a group within UPRONA. By 1987, she was on its main committee. In this role, she worked to change laws and create government programs that would help women.
In 1990, Kinigi started working at the Bank of the Republic of Burundi. She led the department that focused on research and statistics. She also taught classes at the University of Burundi. In 1991, President Pierre Buyoya chose her to be a special advisor. She was in charge of Burundi's plan to improve its economy. She worked with important international groups like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. President Buyoya was impressed by her work. He then made her a permanent secretary in the Ministry of Economic Planning.
Becoming Prime Minister
In the summer of 1993, Burundi held free elections. This was a big step towards democracy. The Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) party won the elections. This party was a rival to UPRONA. The new president, Melchior Ndadaye, was the first Hutu to become head of state. He asked Sylvie Kinigi to become the Prime Minister of Burundi.
Kinigi thought about the offer for a while before accepting it. She knew President Ndadaye personally. They had studied together in Paris. She believed she could help the country. She said her selection was "a good surprise for Burundian women, but for African women too."
Some people in both parties were not happy with her appointment. However, the new government included both Hutu and Tutsi members. Kinigi was one of two women ministers. The government officially started on 10 July. Kinigi wanted to improve the economy. But she believed that ethnic tensions between the Tutsi and Hutu groups needed to be reduced first. So, she made ethnic peace her main goal.
On 21 October, President Ndadaye and other officials were killed by Tutsi soldiers in a coup attempt. A coup is when a group tries to take control of the government by force. Kinigi's bodyguards stayed loyal to her. She and other government leaders found safety in the French embassy. She was the highest-ranking civilian official who survived the coup attempt.
From the embassy, she continued to give directions for the government. The coup failed because of fighting and strong disapproval from other countries. On 7 November, she returned to her home with French military protection. Since President Ndadaye and others in line to be president had died, she became the acting head of state of Burundi.
Her government, with 15 of its original 22 ministers, helped calm the capital city, Bujumbura. However, they could not stop the fighting between ethnic groups across the country. Thousands of people died. Kinigi worked hard to find a new president. On 9 January 1994, the National Assembly changed the constitution. This allowed them to elect the next president. Four days later, they elected Cyprien Ntaryamira as president.
There were some legal challenges to this election. With help from the United Nations, Kinigi worked out a deal with the opposition. Ntaryamira would become president, and a new prime minister from the UPRONA party would be chosen. Ntaryamira became president on 5 February. Kinigi resigned as prime minister when he took office. On 7 February, Anatole Kanyenkiko became the new prime minister.
Sylvie Kinigi was the second woman to serve as president of an African country. The first was Carmen Pereira of Guinea-Bissau. People had different opinions about her time in government. Some Tutsi people criticized her leadership. But many FRODEBU members respected her. Looking back in 1999, Kinigi said her experience showed that "a woman can do even more than a man can do, with a soul of a mother and strong will, at the highest level of politics."
Later Work
After leaving government, Kinigi took an executive job at the Banque Commerciale du Burundi. She then held several international positions. She worked for organizations like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). She represented the UNDP in countries like Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, and Senegal. She also worked as a political advisor for the UN in Nairobi.
In 2008, she returned to Burundi. She became an independent economic consultant. In this role, she supported women's rights to inherit land and property. She also promoted the use of democracy. In 2016, the Carter Center chose Kinigi to lead its team observing the general elections in Zambia.
See also
In Spanish: Sylvie Kinigi para niños
- List of the first women holders of political offices in Africa
