It’s true that as a young solider, President Bagaza was part of the Tutsi extremists that exterminated the Hutu. However, he denounced those insane massacres and, when he became President of Burundi, President Bagaza did not exterminate or discriminate against the Hutu. Yes, he killed some Tutsi elite as President, those he suspected of trying to remove him from power. Those were crimes. However, Bagaza was a champion of economic and social development for all Burundians. Certainly he got into trouble with the West , especially the Vatican, who eventually overthrew him using Buyoya. President Buyoya reversed things; Buyoya institutionalized Tutsi supremacy, exclusion and discrimination against the Hutu, etc.
I had a chance to meet Bagaza at his residence in Kansanga, Uganda. He looked fragile because of his alcohol consumption issues. We talked a lot about the Hutu vs. Tutsi conflict. I can gladly say that Bagaza helped to shaped my position on that annoying conflict; it’s pure insanity some people are conditioned to maintain and institutionalize. Some Tutsi and Hutu have, over time, become slaves of this traditional and bloody conflict!
President Bagaza knew that he, once upon a time, was a slave of that conflict and he exterminated the Hutu but, as he used to say it openly, ” shall we die slaves of this insane conflict …can’t we change things …?”
I think that is what the government of Burundi considered. President Bagaza is a hero for that reason. I am so so happy that the government of Burundi has accorded this great man in the Hutu vs Tutsi conflict the honor he deserved.
I was personally considering traveling to Burundi to be part of that wonderful history; sending off a great man who was a product of that bad history but changed from Saul to Paul; he remained a man of his limitations but struggling for perfection. He’s gone. We are here, at least NOW. Who of us is will to change from Saul to Paul?
The Hutu vs Tutsi conflict is pure insanity!
Kagame should learn from Bagaza and the government of Burundi. It’s makes no sense to institutionalize ethnic supremacy and, nobody benefits from remaining a slave of the Hutu vs Tutsi conflict. Reconciling people, not fueling the insane history of massacres and counter massacres, etc is the only way through the Hutu vs Tutsi conflict.
By Charles Kambanda
