NDADAYE AS A SUCCESSOR
TO RWAGASORE
In his brief time on
the national stage, Prince Louis Rwagasore, a hero of Independence in Burundi
can be compared to a host of African big apples including Nelson MANDELA, Thomas
SANKARA, Muhamar Khaddafi, Julius
NYERERE, Jomo KENYATTA to name few for the liberation of the oppressed people ,
but the most apt comparison is one of the greatest hero of Democracy in
Burundi, Melchior Ndadaye. Among
Burundians, there are many known and unknown personalities who have contributed
in Burundian progress but Rwagasore and Ndadaye came as good persons for a
change which we keep in memory.
The present essay is
let to establish opportunities, challenges and lives that the two heroes, Rwagasore
and Ndadaye had undergone during their period. This study is also set to
examine coincidences and incidences which unify the destinies of the two
national heroes that Burundi had known. The resemblances in the two heroes can
be explored through four angles: Their childhood, emerging leadership,
political life, and deaths.
To start with, as far
as their childhood is concerned, both Rwagasore and Ndadaye are first sons in
their families. Rwagasore was born in January 10th, 1934 he was a
first son of his family and Ndadaye was born March 28th, 1953. Both
of them were Christians from Roman Catholic Church. Both of them started their
primary school when they were 7 years old.
Second, their emerging
leadership resembled on how they were educated and jailed. Both they Studied in
Rwanda at Groupe Scolaire of Butare and then in Europe. This shows that Rwanda
and Europe have been countries which helped in education of the most of the
emerging leaders who changed our country. Also, both were jailed in October because
of their ideologies and released in December of the same year, before being
chosen by their political parties. Apart from that they have created political
parties which brought changes in Burundi, Rwagasore and Ndadaye respectively
brought independence and Democracy.
Third, their political
life was almost the same. Both of them were revolutionary civil politicians and
they were talking about changes and Democracy in their speeches. “Great minds
think alike”. Many people loved their ideologies, an action which led them to
win elections. In their brief time on the national stage, they had started huge
projects to build our country and bring hope among the oppressed citizens of
that time. Both had an ideology of cooperatives as pillar for a sustainable
development of all the peasants. Both dreamed of a Burundi where character, not
origin, political party, ethnicity, area, family, class, etc. should determine
a person’s status.
Finally, for both their
courage to change has been a cause to death. Rwagasore and Ndadaye governed a
short period. Their assassination was organized by some people from the opposition
who lost elections and who were not happy of the change. People around informed
them about the preparations of their assassination but they took that
information for granted. Both were killed in the same place and month
respectively Bujumbura and in October. Their speeches become a legacy to the
following generations.
In conclusion, the
socio-political situation in the colonial period and in 1990s in Burundi was so
embarrassing that it needed a change. To
achieve an effective change in such a situation, the society needed leaders who
were different from the political elite of that time. These two heroes I mean
RWAGASORE and NDADAYE, to succeed to their tasks, they had been intellectuals
who were committed to revolution and change. They had been eyes and voices of
such an oppressed society. They had been leaders who were truthful in their
actions and speeches. They had been leaders who were not looking for their own
interest. They had been able to save a mass of Burundians from a bad situation.
By:
Juste Picasso NDUWAYO
