FIRST STAMPS under mandate
1 December 1924.
Two African
kingdoms ruled by German East Africa until World War I. Captured by Belgian
troops in 1916. Stamps of Belgian Congo with dual overprints in French and
Flemish were used at Belgian Field POs in the west sector, and as far east as
Tabora from July 1916. It was mandated at the peace settlement to Belgium, and
confirmed as a trust territory under the United Nations on 13 December 1946. On
1 July 1962 they became separately independent as Rwanda and Burundi (see
below).
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Burundi
FIRST STAMPS
inscribed 'Royaume de Burundi', 1 July 1962 inscribed 'Republique du Burundi',
28 November 1966 (overprints), inscribed stamps from February
1967.
CURRENCY
Belgian, subsequently Burundi franc of 100
centimes.
On gaining independence from
Belgium, Burundi became a kingdom from 1962-1966 when it became a republic.
After a coup in 1987, the Military Committee of National Redemption came to
power led by Major Buyoya, a Tutsi.
Although most of the population is
Hutu, political and military power has always remained in the hands of the
Tutsi minority. Since the 1960s, Hutu attempts to overthrow the ruling power
has resulted in ethnic massacres. The Tutsi dominated army attempted a coup in
1993 in which the president was killed. The Government regained control in
December, but the two months of civil war had resulted in 50,000 dead and
500,000 refugees.
It was agreed to form a coalition
government in 1994 with a Tutsi prime-minister and a Hutu president. However,
the government was unable to prevent attacks by the Tutsi army or the Hutu
militia being made on each others communities. The fighting is estimated to
have claimed 200,000 lives in 1993-95.
In July 1996 the army again seized
power and Major Buyoya was re-installed as President. Political parties were
banned and the National Assembly was suspended until October 1996. Clashes
between the army and the Hutu militia together with the massacre of civilians
has continued. More than 100,000 refugees remain in camps in Tanzania and the
Democratic Republic of Congo. |
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