The body of former Burundian
President Pierre Buyoya has been repatriated to Burundi on Tuesday, more than three years after his death.
Buyoya, who passed away in Paris, France, in December 2020, due to Covid-19 complications, was buried in Bamako, Mali, where he served as the African Union’s special envoy to Mali and the Sahel.
Aged 71 at the time of his death, the late Burundian President had a complex legacy. He was recognised for his efforts in promoting democracy in Burundi but was also implicated in the assassination of his successor, Melchior Ndadaye. Ndadaye’s assassination in 1993 triggered a decade-long civil conflict between the Hutu majority and Tutsi minority in Burundi, resulting in approximately 300,000 deaths.
Buyoya first rose to power in a 1987 coup and later relinquished his position in 1993 after Burundi’s first democratic elections, in which he was defeated by Ndadaye. He regained power in a 1996 coup and played a pivotal role in the Arusha Accords of 2000, aimed at ending the civil war. He stepped down in 2003 as part of the agreement.
In October 2020, Buyoya was sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia, alongside 18 others, for his alleged role in Ndadaye’s assassination. He dismissed the trial as a “sham” but resigned from his AU position to clear his name.
The decision to repatriate Buyoya’s body was in line with his final wishes, as stated by his family. A family statement shared with AFP on Monday read, “In order to respect the last wishes of the deceased, the family has requested and obtained from the Burundian authorities permission to repatriate and rebury his remains in his native country.”
The aircraft carrying Buyoya’s remains arrived in Bujumbura, Burundi’s main city, early Tuesday afternoon. His reburial is scheduled for a private ceremony on Wednesday at the family property in Rutovu, in Southern Burundi.
Burundi has experienced significant political turmoil over the years. The CNDD-FDD party, originating from the main Hutu rebellion, has been in power since 2005. The political landscape was further strained in 2015 when the then President Pierre Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term led to protests, a failed coup, and widespread violence. Nkurunziza passed away unexpectedly in June 2020, shortly before his successor, Evariste Ndayishimiye, assumed office.
