Burundi Government Officials

The presidents of Rwanda and Burundi were killed in a plane crash near this capital city's airport Wednesday as they flew back together from regional peace talks in Tanzania. Rwandan diplomats charged that the plane was shot down. Presidents Juvenal Habyarimana of Rwanda and Cyprian Ntayamira of Burundi had been in Tanzania for a meeting of east-central African leaders seeking ways to end ethnic violence in the two countries.

Talks aimed at reviving Burundi's peace process were postponed after the country's defense minister and four others were killed in a helicopter crash on their way to the meeting. The helicopter carrying Defense Minister Firmin Sinzoyiheba went down southeast of the capital, Bujumbura, during a thunderstorm. Also killed in the crash were the helicopter's pilot, Sinzoyiheba's bodyguard, a military commander and the personal secretary to President Pierre Buyoya.

In a bid to diminish ethnic violence, Burundi's president has banned all political meetings, imposed censorship and asked the nation's Parliament for power to rule by decree until October. The National Assembly met in special session Monday to consider President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya's request. The assembly also will decide whether judicial committees should be established to investigate crimes committed since the nation's upsurge in violence began 20 months ago.

Ousted civilian President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya left the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Bujumbura, after taking refuge there almost a year ago. Ntibantunganya's freedom immediately underlined Burundi's sharp ethnic divide, with majority ethnic Hutus celebrating but many among the minority Tutsis grumbling about the terms. The government has provided an office and a home for him in Bujumbura.

Burundi named Adrien Sibomana, a member of the majority Hutu tribe, as its new prime minister. The appointment follows pledges by President Pierre Buyoya that he would work toward restoration of national unity after thousands of people, mostly Hutu, were killed by rival Tutsi tribesmen in August.

President Pierre Buyoya left Sunday for Washington on his first trip to the United States since taking power in this small African nation in a coup in 1987. He is expected to meet President Bush and other U.S. officials, Burundian officials said.

Hours after he was attacked by stone-throwing mourners at a funeral for victims of a massacre, Burundi's president took refuge at the U.S. ambassador's residence here and urged his compatriots Wednesday to resist attempts by others to seize power in this country riven by civil war and ethnic bloodshed.

The Tutsi-led army defied world leaders and carried out a successful coup Thursday, sealing this embattled country's borders and installing an ethnic Tutsi to replace the Hutu president who is still under the protection of the U.S. ambassador here.

Angry crowds stoned the helicopter of Burundi's Hutu president, Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, as he tried to attend the mass funeral of 304 members of the minority Tutsi tribe slain over the weekend. Ntibantunganya, whose two predecessors were assassinated, had to abandon plans to attend the mass funeral in Burundi's central region and flew to safety. An aide said Ntibantunganya was unhurt. Meanwhile, the U.N.

Three days after seizing power in a coup, Burundi's military-backed strongman appealed Sunday for reconciliation between warring Hutus and Tutsis in the country and called for a "political dialogue" to negotiate peace.

Three days after seizing power in a coup, Burundi's military-backed strongman appealed Sunday for reconciliation between warring Hutus and Tutsis in the country and called for a "political dialogue" to negotiate peace.

The Tutsi-led army defied world leaders and carried out a successful coup Thursday, sealing this embattled country's borders and installing an ethnic Tutsi to replace the Hutu president who is still under the protection of the U.S. ambassador here.

Hours after he was attacked by stone-throwing mourners at a funeral for victims of a massacre, Burundi's president took refuge at the U.S. ambassador's residence here and urged his compatriots Wednesday to resist attempts by others to seize power in this country riven by civil war and ethnic bloodshed.

Angry crowds stoned the helicopter of Burundi's Hutu president, Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, as he tried to attend the mass funeral of 304 members of the minority Tutsi tribe slain over the weekend. Ntibantunganya, whose two predecessors were assassinated, had to abandon plans to attend the mass funeral in Burundi's central region and flew to safety. An aide said Ntibantunganya was unhurt. Meanwhile, the U.N.

In a bid to diminish ethnic violence, Burundi's president has banned all political meetings, imposed censorship and asked the nation's Parliament for power to rule by decree until October. The National Assembly met in special session Monday to consider President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya's request. The assembly also will decide whether judicial committees should be established to investigate crimes committed since the nation's upsurge in violence began 20 months ago.

The presidents of Rwanda and Burundi were killed in a plane crash near this capital city's airport Wednesday as they flew back together from regional peace talks in Tanzania. Rwandan diplomats charged that the plane was shot down. Presidents Juvenal Habyarimana of Rwanda and Cyprian Ntayamira of Burundi had been in Tanzania for a meeting of east-central African leaders seeking ways to end ethnic violence in the two countries.

Talks aimed at reviving Burundi's peace process were postponed after the country's defense minister and four others were killed in a helicopter crash on their way to the meeting. The helicopter carrying Defense Minister Firmin Sinzoyiheba went down southeast of the capital, Bujumbura, during a thunderstorm. Also killed in the crash were the helicopter's pilot, Sinzoyiheba's bodyguard, a military commander and the personal secretary to President Pierre Buyoya.

Ousted civilian President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya left the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Bujumbura, after taking refuge there almost a year ago. Ntibantunganya's freedom immediately underlined Burundi's sharp ethnic divide, with majority ethnic Hutus celebrating but many among the minority Tutsis grumbling about the terms. The government has provided an office and a home for him in Bujumbura.

The president of Burundi was seized Thursday in an army coup that halted the tiny Central African nation's transition to democracy and stirred fears of new ethnic bloodletting. In Belgium, Burundi's former colonial ruler, BRTN radio said unidentified sources reported the rebels had killed President Melchior Ndadaye. The radio said Burundi's neighbor, Rwanda, broadcast similar reports but that none had been confirmed.

Challenger Melchior Ndadaye toppled military President Pierre Buyoya in Burundi's first free elections Wednesday to give the majority Hutu tribe its first national leader. Official provisional results gave Ndadaye, a 40-year-old banker, 60% of the vote, confounding forecasts that Buyoya, 44, would win to extend the presidency he seized in a 1987 coup. The results overturned centuries of Tutsi domination of the majority Hutu.