October marked by series of unsolved political crimes in Burundi
Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - In Burundi, 13 October marks the 1961 assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore, hero of national independence, and the 1993 military coup d'état of 21 October, which took the life of democratically elected President Melchior Ndadaye,
The events triggered unprecedented inter-ethnic massacres with almost widespread impunity castigated by the public.
Both crimes have struggled to be clearly justified in a country with chronic political instability since its emancipation from Belgian rule.
Opinion remains divided over the results of the new National Commission on Truth and Reconciliation (CVR), set up to investigate all blood crimes that have plunged Burundi into mourning since the German and Belgian colonial era (1885-1962).
For the time being, the known historical facts on these two major political crimes in Burundi suggest that they are plots with various ramifications.
Prince Rwagasore was the first independent prime minister of Burundi.
Some investigations implicate the Belgian authorities in the murder of the bulky nationalist tempo of the other fathers of African independence, such as Kwamé Nkrumah of Ghana and Patrice Lumumba of the former Congo-Kinshasa.
King Mwambutsa IV's heir was cowardly murdered by a sniper while having dinner with his ministers at a large restaurant on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Bujumbura.
The shooter turned out to be Jean Kageorgis, a young man of the lineage of the great Greek trading families who had long established themselves in Burundi. He was executed by public hanging.
In 1956, the Burundian Prince began his political career at the head of the National Unity Party (UPRONA), after brilliant university studies with the Belgians.
In March, 1960, Rwagasore strongly demanded Burundi's total independence and urged the population to boycott Belgian shops and refuse to pay taxes, which led to his being placed under house arrest.
On 18 September, 1961, parliamentary elections were held under the supervision of the United Nations and Rwagasore's UPRONA won with flying colours, garnering a large victory of 80 percent of the votes.
Prince Louis Rwagasore became prime minister of Burundi on 29 September, 1961, before being assassinated a year later.
In the case of the "Hero of Democracy", Melchior Ndadaye, a trial considered "historic" began in October, 26 years after the events.
The trial is ongoing in Gitega, the new capital of Burundi, before the judicial chamber of the country's Supreme Court, against 17 former senior members of the national army.
An international arrest warrant is also being issued against the former president of Burundi and commander-in-chief of the then armies, Major Pierre Buyoya.
However, the current High Representative of the African Union in Mali and the Sahel enjoys diplomatic immunity that temporarily protects him from prosecution.
A previous trial had concerned only mere "executors" in the assassination case of President Ndadaye, whose name was recently dedicated to the international airport of Bujumbura, the political capital of Burundi, as a tribute.
In Burundi, the Heroes of Independence and the Hero of Democracy are still immortalized by monuments and other effigies on banknotes.
Burundi came close to civil war again following controversial elections in 2015, which were marked by violence, including a failed military coup attempt.
New general elections are looming by 2020 in a context still strained by the turbulent ones of 2015.
-0- PANA FB/BEH/MTA/RA 13Oct2019
