Burundi: The royal family, including historical, political and ethnic backgrounds; names of the last king, queen, princes, princess and heirs of the throne and whether they are still alive; proof, sign or document to identify them as royal family members, the impact of being a member of the royal family in the context of the current civil war; state protection available to them
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 15 March 2001 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BDI36479.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Burundi: The royal family, including historical, political and ethnic backgrounds; names of the last king, queen, princes, princess and heirs of the throne and whether they are still alive; proof, sign or document to identify them as royal family members, the impact of being a member of the royal family in the context of the current civil war; state protection available to them, 15 March 2001, BDI36479.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be100.html [accessed 25 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. |
Dating back to the sixteenth century (Prunier Mar. 1995; background Notes Aug. 2000), the tutsi Burundi kingdom (ibid.; Pitsch A. 1998) ended in 1966 when the nineteen-year-old (NewAfrican Yearbook 1999/2000; Lemarchand 1970, 421) king Ntare V, born Ndizeye Charles, was deposed by the Burundian army (Pitsch 1998; Prunier Mar. 1995; Background Notes Aug. 2000; Africa South of the Sahara 2000; New African Yearbook 1999/2000).
Ndizeye Charles was assassinated in April 1972 (ibid. 13 Mar. 2001; Prunier Mar. 1995; Net Press 28 Apr. 1999; New African Yearbook 1999/2000).
The attachment from Rwanda and Burundi provides a 1795-1966 genealogy of the Burundian kings and their descendants showing that "teenage" Burundian who was the last king did not have any descendants. This was corroborated by an official of the embassy of Burundi who stated that when assassinated in 1972, Charles Ndizeye was not yet married and did not leave any descendants (12 Mar. 20010.
In correspondence, a professor in Department of Political Science at the University of California, and the author of Rwanda and Burundi, stated that members of the Burundian royal family do not have any particular signs for their identification (13 March 2001).
No information on the impact of being a member of the Royal family nor of the state protection could be found among the sources consulted.
For further information on the monarchy in Burundi, including its historical and political backgrounds, its structure and organization please see the attachments from Rwanda and Burundi.
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 to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Africa South of the Sahara. 2000. "Burundi: Pre-colonial History."
Bureau of African Affairs. August 2000. "Background Notes: Burundi". U.S Department of States.
Embassy of Burundi, Ottawa. 12 March 2001. Telephone interview with an official.
Lemarchand, René. 1970. Rwanda and Burundi. London: Pall Mall Press.
NewAfrican Yearbook. 1999/2000. "Burundi: 1 July 1962: Independence."
Net Press. 28 April 1999. "Burundi – Évenements de 1972."
Professor, University of California, Department of Political Science, Berkeley. 13 March 2001. Correspondence.
Pitsch Anne. 1 July 1998. "Hutu and Tutsi in Burundi." Minorities at Risk Project.
Prunier Gérard. March 1995. "Burundi: Descent Into Chaos or a Manageable Crisis?" United Kingdom: WRITENET
Attachment
René Lemarchand. 1970. Rwanda and Burundi. London: Pall Mall Press, PP. 301-328
Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Database.
Resource Centre country file. Burundi.
LEXIS/NEXIS.
Minorities at Risk Project.
Search Engines.
Google.
Lycos.
