Joseph Bamina

Joseph Bamina (1925 – 15 December 1965) was a Burundian politician and member of the Union for National Progress (French: Union pour le Progrès national) (UPRONA) party.[1] Bamina was Prime Minister from 26 January to 30 September 1965,[2] and President of the Senate of Burundi in 1965.[3] He and other leaders of the government[4] were assassinated on 15 December 1965,[1] by Tutsi soldiers during a reprisal effort to stop a coup by Hutu officers.[4]

Life and work

Bamina was a Hutu who was trained at university[5] at a time when the colonial powers of German and Belgium had given most opportunities to Tutsis, limiting Hutus to training for the Catholic priesthood.[4]

In 1961, Burundi held elections to determine the post colonial government with the multi-ethnic UPRONA party winning 90% of the seats which were shared between Hutus and Tutsis.[4] In 1962, the Tutsi monarch (the Mwami)[1] decreed that UPRONA leadership would be determined by an election from the rank and file members of the party, and Bamina was elected the party president.[6] The vice president of the party, Paul Mirerekano, had hoped to win the position of president and he refused to participate with the other leaders of the party, instead leading a split in the party which became known as the Monrovia group and consisted of most of the Hutu members (the remaining Tutsi wing identified as Casablanca).[6]

The Monrovia faction recognized the People's Republic of China in 1964, contrary to the desires of the Mwami.[5] In January 1965, the Mwami tapped Pierre Ngendandumwe, a Hutu, to form a new government as Prime Minister,[4] in part because of his stance against Chinese and communist influence in the country.[7] Ngendandumwe was assassinated by Tutsis shortly thereafter, and on 24 January,[8] Bamina was named temporary Prime Minister and national elections were slated for the spring.[4] As Prime Minister, Bamina cut off relations with communist China on 30 January and ordered the Chinese diplomatic staff out of the country,[9][10] with government troops surrounding the Chinese embassy.[7]

The Hutus won the May elections, garnering 80% of the seats.[11]

Bamina was elected President of the Senate on 4 September.[12] After the Mwami overruled the senate's selection of a Hutu as prime minister and instead appointed a Tutsi [4] Hutu officers in the army staged a coup in October,[13] but Tutsi soldiers countered and executed many of the Hutu members of the government, including Bamina on 15 December 1965.[4]

Bamina had been married to a Tutsi woman.[5] His widow, Mary Roche Bamina, is president of the Bamina Foundation.[14]

References

1. Mwakikagile, Godfrey (2012). Identity Politics and Ethnic Conflicts in Rwanda and Burundi: A Comparative Study. Intercontinental Books. pp. 32–. ISBN 9789987160297. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 May 2009. Retrieved 9 April 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. Eyoh, Dickson; Zeleza, Paul Tiyambe (6 December 2012). Encyclopaedia of Twentieth-Century African History. Taylor & Francis. pp. 57–. ISBN 9780415234795. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
5. Crowder, Michael (13 December 1984). The Cambridge History of Africa. Cambridge University Press. pp. 736–. ISBN 9780521224093. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
6. Lemarchand, Rene (26 January 1996). Burundi: Ethnic Conflict and Genocide. Cambridge University Press. pp. 65–. ISBN 9780521566230. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
7. Legum, Colin (1966). Africa: a handbook to the continent. Praeger. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
8. The Economist. Economist Newspaper Limited. 1965.
9. Collier's ... Year Book Covering the Year ... Crowell, Collier and Macmillan. 1965.
10. China: U.S. policy since 1945. Congressional Quarterly. 1980. ISBN 9780871871886. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
11. Hastings, Adrian (17 May 1979). A History of African Christianity 1950-1975. CUP Archive. pp. 200–. ISBN 9780521293976. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
12. Africa Report. African-American Institute. 1965.
13. McKenna, Amy (15 January 2011). The History of Central and Eastern Africa. The Rosen Publishing Group. pp. 26–. ISBN 9781615303229. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

Political offices
Preceded by Pié Masumbuko	Prime Minister of Burundi 1965	Succeeded by Léopold Biha