The remains of former Burundian President Pierre Buyoya were brought back to his home country on Tuesday, July 16th,2024, more than three years after his initial burial in Mali.
Buyoya, a controversial figure credited with both democratic progress and involvement in a political assassination, passed away in Paris in December 2020 from complications due to COVID-19.
Buyoya, a Tutsi military leader, first rose to power through a coup in 1987. He later oversaw Burundi’s first democratic elections in 1993, where he was decisively defeated by Hutu candidate Melchior Ndadaye.
However, Buyoya returned to the presidency in another coup in 1996. While in office, he signed the Arusha Accords in 2000, a peace agreement aimed at ending the brutal civil war that had ravaged the nation. He eventually stepped down in 2003 as per the terms of the accord.
Buyoya’s legacy remains tarnished by accusations of involvement in Ndadaye’s assassination just months into his presidency. In October 2020, a Burundian court sentenced Buyoya, along with 18 others, to life in absentia for the crime.
Buyoya vehemently denied the charges, calling the trial a sham.
Following his death, Buyoya’s family requested and received permission from the Burundian government to repatriate his remains. A private reburial ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday at his family property in southern Burundi.
Buyoya’s repatriation comes amidst a backdrop of ongoing political instability in Burundi. Ndadaye’s assassination sparked a decade-long civil war along ethnic lines, leaving an estimated 300,000 dead.
The country has faced further turmoil in recent years, including a failed coup attempt in 2015 and a disputed election in 2020. The return of Buyoya’s remains serves as a reminder of the nation’s complex history and the challenges it continues to face.
