ABSTRACT
The small East African nation of Burundi has been wracked by wars and violence. The rule of various kings changed when the minority Tutsis were formally favored by first the German colonizers and later by the Belgians, who exploited ethnic divisions with the intent to divide and conquer and ultimately control. The majority Hutus had one of their own, Melchior Ndadaye, elected as president in 1993. Four months after taking office in July, he was assassinated by Tutsi soldiers. In the region that comprises modern Burundi in East Africa, the historic divisions between Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa peoples were exploited by colonial powers to ensure control and profit. During this period of unrest, Stanislas Kaburungu, the Roman Catholic bishop of the diocese of Ngozi since 1968, saw Burundi sink deeper into violence. The city of Ngozi and much of the region around it remained relatively calm. Nevertheless, people saw smoke rising from nearby hills as villages were looted and burned.
