Burundi : 31 years after the assassination of President Cyprien Ntaryamira, the quest for truth continues

BUJUMBURA – Burundi commemorated on Monday, April 7, the 31st anniversary of the tragic death of President Cyprien Ntaryamira, who died in a plane crash in Kigali in 1994. The tragedy, which also claimed the lives of two of his ministers, occurred as he was returning from a summit of heads of state in Tanzania.

Info SOS Médias Burundi

The presidential plane, which also carried Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana, was shot down as it was preparing to land in Kigali. This attack immediately triggered the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, which, according to the Rwandan government, left nearly a million dead in just 100 days.

Thirty-one years later, the exact circumstances of this double assassination remain unclear. This gray area continues to fuel the frustration of the victims’ families and rekindles calls for transparent international investigations.

On the eve of the commemoration, Phénias Niyigaba, vice-president of the Sahwanya Frodebu party, urged Burundian authorities, the Rwandan government, and the international community to launch serious and independent investigations.

“It is time for justice to be done, not only for the victims, but also to ensure lasting stability in our region,” he declared.

Léonce Ngendakumana, former speaker of the National Assembly, echoed the same sentiment, arguing that the lingering shadow surrounding this tragedy is an obstacle to regional reconciliation.

“This is a crucial political issue. The tensions between Burundi and Rwanda, which arose following this event, have frozen any progress toward the truth. Strong political will is needed to break this silence,” he stated.

During the commemorative mass in Bujumbura, Archbishop Gervais Banshimiyubusa also called for the truth to be revealed, while warning against any political exploitation of this issue.

“When will the truth about this painful past be revealed?” he asked, paying tribute to the values ​​of justice, ethics, and discipline embodied by Cyprien Ntaryamira.

This commemoration revives a memory that is still vivid in Burundian minds and reinforces a shared demand : to finally shed light on the circumstances of this assassination and to serve justice. For many, this is not only a matter of memory, but an essential step toward sincere and lasting reconciliation in the region.

Cyprien Ntaryamira succeeded Melchior Ndadaye, Burundi’s first democratically elected Hutu president, who was assassinated on October 21, 1993, after only 102 days in power. His death sparked massacres of Tutsis across the country, which several human rights groups consider genocide. Ndadaye was the founder of the Sahwanya Frodebu party.

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Official photo of former Burundi President Cyprien Ntaryamira, killed in a plane crash in Kigali on April 6, 1994