Burundi: Background information on Ambassador to Belgium Charles Baranyanka; his ethnicity; names and ages of his wife and children
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 12 March 2008 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BDI102789.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Burundi: Background information on Ambassador to Belgium Charles Baranyanka; his ethnicity; names and ages of his wife and children, 12 March 2008, BDI102789.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/49b92b5c7.html [accessed 27 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Background
Charles Baranyanka was born on 20 January 1935 in Rabiro, Burundi (Belgium 22 Jan. 2004; see also University of Queensland n.d.). Baranyanka obtained an education in political science and diplomacy at the University of Liège in Belgium (ibid.). In 1967, he was reportedly arrested in Burundi (BurundiBwacu.org 23 Oct. 2007). Released from prison in 1970, he was apparently rearrested in 1971, sentenced to death in 1972 and then re-released in 1973 (ibid.).
Baranyanka later became a diplomat for Burundi to France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom (UK), the European Economic Community (EEC) and Belgium (ibid.). According to the website of the Embassy of Burundi in Brussels, Charles Baranyanka is no longer the ambassador of Burundi to Belgium (Burundi n.d.).
In 1993, Baranyanka was reportedly a founding member of the political party "Alliance burundo-african pour le Salut, ABASA" (BurundiBwacu.org 23 Oct. 2007).
In 2004, Baranyanka obtained Belgian nationality through naturalization (Belgium 22 Jan. 2004; see also BurundiBwacu.org 23 Oct. 2007). In 2007, he was working in Belgium's private sector in the real estate and housing industry (BurundiBwacu.org 23 Oct. 2007).
Baranyanka has also been involved in the work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (CEBB n.d.; EAPN 13-14 Sept. 2007). At the time of writing this Response, he was listed as a contact person for a project on hunger in Burundi on the website of the Centre d'Echanges Belgo Burundais (CEBB), a Brussels-based NGO that receives support from the Belgian ministry of foreign affairs (CEBB n.d.). In September 2007, Charles Baranyanka represented FEDA [Fédération Espoir d'Afrique (Brussels n.d.)] at a European anti-poverty seminar held in Brussels (EAPN 13-14 Sept. 2007).
Ethnicity
Charles Baranyanka is part of an historical royal family of Burundi (BurundiBwacu.org 23 Oct. 2007; University of Queensland n.d.). The Baranyanka family are members of the ganwa [also referred to in the plural form as Baganwa (Nindorera 2002-2003, 3) or Abaganwa (Prunier Oct. 1994)] (Prunier Oct. 1994; University of Queensland n.d.). Considered "separate and above" the ethnic groups of Burundi (i.e., the Hutu, the Tutsi and the Twa) (IFAD n.d.;, Nindorera 2002-2003, 3; see also MRG 2000, 7), the ganwa acted as an "intermediate princely class between the mwami (king) and the population" in pre-colonial times (MRG 2000, 7;, Nindorera 2002-2003, 3; Brachet and Wolpe June 2005, 5).
One source consulted indicates that the ganwa are of Tutsi ethnicity and are divided into four royal clans: Batare, Bezi, Bataga and Bambutsu (Everyculture.com n.d.). The Baranyanka family is reportedly of the Batare clan (Prunier 1994; MRG 2000, 7).
Names and ages of his wife and children
Information on the names and ages of Charles Baranyanka's wife and children could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Belgium. 22 January 2004. Staatsblad Moniteur. Service Public Federal Justice. "Loi accordant des naturalisations."
Brachet, Juana and Howard Wolpe. June 2005. Paper No. 27. "Conflict-Sensitive Development Assistance: The Case of Burundi." The World Bank. Social Development Papers: Conflict Prevention & Reconstruction. (Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars)
Brussels. N.d. "Composition du Conseil des Bruxellois d'origine étrangère."
Burundi. N.d. Ambassade du Burundi à Bruxelles, Belgique. "L'Ambassadeur."
BurundiBwacu.org. 23 October 2007. Fabien Cishahayo. "Conférence de l'Ambassadeur Charles Baranyanka: 'De la Dynastie Burundaise et des Clans.'"
Centre d'Echanges Belgo Burundais (CEBB). N.d. "La famine tue au Burundi!"
European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN). 13-14 September 2007. "European Anti Poverty Network Seminar: An EU Free of Poverty Is Possible."
Everyculture.com. N.d. "Culture of Burundi."
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). N.d. "In the Wake of War."
Minority Rights Group International (MRG). 2000. Filip Reyntjens. Burundi: Prospects for Peace.
Nindorera, Agnes. 2002-2003. Working Paper No. 102. "Ubushingantahe as a Base for Political Transformation in Burundi." Boston Cosortium on Gender, Security and Human Rights.
Gerard Prunier. October 1994. Writenet. "Burundi: A Manageable Crisis?" (Réseau Documentaire International sur la Région des Grands Lacs Africains)
University of Queensland. N.d. Henry Soszynski. "Burundi." Geneological Gleanings.
Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sites, including: Abarundi.org, AllAfrica, Association de Réflexion et d'Information sur le Burundi (ARIB), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), BurundiBwacu.org, Burundirealite.org, European Country of Origin Information Network (ecoi.net), Factiva, Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN).
