Burundi marks 33rd anniversary of president Ndadaye assassination
A sober commemoration took place in Bujumbura on October 21, 2026, for the first democratically elected president.
Burundi observed the 33rd anniversary of the assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye and his collaborators on October 21, 2026. The commemoration occurred at the Place des martyrs de la démocratie in Bujumbura, with significant military and security presence. Attendees, including the president's widow, were searched upon entering the perimeter around the former 'Palais du 1er Novembre'.
The ceremony honored President Ndadaye, who was democratically elected, and the unknown martyr, with a red carpet laid to their tombs. Among the attendees were the widow of former president Pierre Nkurunziza, former president Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, the governor of Bujumbura, and the administrator of Mukaza. Government representation included the Minister of the Interior and the government's spokesperson.
High-ranking officials, including the President of the Senate and the President of the National Assembly, also attended the event. The President of the Republic arrived later, greeted by military and police officials lining the red carpet. This date marks 33 years since the 1993 assassination and subsequent large-scale killings.
Why it mattersBurundians are commemorating the assassination of their first democratically elected president and the subsequent violence.