Joseph Bamina

Joseph Bamina (c. 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

Joseph Bamina was born in about 1925 to a prominent Hutu family in Urundi.[5] He was trained at university[6] 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 Ganwa 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.[7] 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).[7]

The Monrovia faction recognized the People's Republic of China in 1964, contrary to the desires of the Mwami.[6] 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.[8] Ngendandumwe was assassinated by Tutsis shortly thereafter, and on 24 January,[9] 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,[10][11] with government troops surrounding the Chinese embassy.[8]

The Hutus won the May elections, garnering 80% of the seats.[12]

Bamina was elected President of the Senate on 4 September.[13] 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,[14] 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.[6] His widow, Mary Roche Bamina, is president of the Bamina Foundation.[15]

References
  1. Mwakikagile, Godfrey (2012). Identity Politics and Ethnic Conflicts in Rwanda and Burundi: A Comparative Study. Intercontinental Books. p. 32. ISBN 9789987160297.
  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 (2012). Encyclopaedia of Twentieth-Century African History. Taylor & Francis. p. 57. ISBN 9780415234795.
  5. Weinstein 1976, p. 76.
  6. Crowder, Michael (1984). The Cambridge History of Africa. Cambridge University Press. p. 736. ISBN 9780521224093.
  7. Lemarchand, Rene (1996). Burundi: Ethnic Conflict and Genocide. Cambridge University Press. p. 65. ISBN 9780521566230.
  8. Legum, Colin (1966). Africa: a handbook to the continent. Praeger.
  9. The Economist. Economist Newspaper Limited. 1965.
  10. Collier's ... Year Book Covering the Year ... Crowell, Collier and Macmillan. 1965.
  11. China: U.S. policy since 1945. Congressional Quarterly. 1980. ISBN 9780871871886. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  12. Hastings, Adrian (1979). A History of African Christianity 1950-1975. CUP Archive. p. 200. ISBN 9780521293976.
  13. Africa Report. African-American Institute. 1965.
  14. McKenna, Amy (2011). The History of Central and Eastern Africa. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 26. ISBN 9781615303229.
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

Works cited
  • Weinstein, Warren (1976). Historical Dictionary of Burundi. Metuchen: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-0962-8.
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