Ikiza or Burundi Killings of 1972
The Ikiza, or Burundi Killings of 1972, refers to a tragic series of mass murders predominantly targeting the Hutu ethnic group by the Tutsi-controlled government of Burundi. This conflict arose following a Hutu insurrection in late April 1972, which aimed to challenge Tutsi dominance. The government responded with severe reprisals, resulting in the estimated deaths of between 150,000 to 300,000 individuals, including both Hutu and Tutsi victims. The violence was rooted in historical ethnic tensions exacerbated by colonial rule, which privileged Tutsis over Hutus and led to significant polarization.
The aftermath saw widespread chaos and repression, as military forces conducted systematic executions of Hutus, particularly targeting elites and anyone suspected of dissent. External support from countries like Zaire and Tanzania initially aided the Burundian government, but foreign nations withdrew their assistance as the scale of civilian killings became clear. By mid-1972, the violence subsided, and the government attempted to restore order, concluding this devastating chapter by August of that year. The Ikiza remains a poignant reminder of the fragility of ethnic relations in Burundi and highlights the complexities of its historical context.
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Ikiza or Burundi Killings of 1972
The ethnic killings in Burundi in 1972 are also known as the Ikiza. They were a series of mass murders committed by the government, which was controlled by people of Tutsi ethnicity. The killings were mainly against people of the Hutu ethnicity, which represented about 80 percent of the approximately four million Burundi people in the early 1970s. It is estimated that between 150,000 to 300,000 people were victims of this massacre, although the exact number may never be known. However, those killed were not all Hutu, as both Hutu and Tutsi people were victims of the conflict that lasted for several months over the spring to the late summer of 1972.
Brief History
Burundi organized as a small independent kingdom in East Africa in the sixteenth century and was comprised mostly of the Hutu people. It also contained lesser numbers of Tutsi people and a very small minority of Twa people. In the 1800s, Burundi was colonized by Germany and joined with the nearby Kingdom of Rwanda. The country was later controlled by Belgium. However, in 1962, it gained full independence and split back into the pre-colonial territories of Burundi and Rwanda.
Prior to colonization, no accounts were recorded of any serious conflicts between the Hutu or Tutsi ethnic groups. Under colonial rule, the minority Tutsi had higher social and economic status. By the twentieth century under Belgian administration, which did not interfere with social structure, Burundi still consisted of people of Hutu ethnicity who formed the country’s lower social structure and were ruled by the aristocratic Tutsi.
When national elections took place in 1961, a son of former Burundian King Mwambutsa IV, Louis Rwagasore, was elected as prime minister. His platform stressed equality and improved ethnic relationships. However, two weeks later, on October 13, 1961, he was assassinated. This contributed to ethnic polarization, which continued even as Burundi gained independence the following year.
From 1959 to the early 1960s, ethnic violence against the Tutsis led by Hutu rebellions also plagued neighboring Rwanda. In 1965, King Mwambutsa ceded rule to his son, Ntare V, who was subsequently deposed in a military coup on November 28, 1966. The leader of this coup, Michel Micombero, installed himself as president of Burundi and actively worked to eliminate Hutu presence in the government. Rumors of a domestic Hutu rebellion in 1969 led to the execution of many prominent Hutu public figures. Tensions and distrust also rose between subgroups within the Tutsi ruling class, as some desired Ntare to return to power. Ntare left exile in Uganda on March 30, 1972, and returned to Burundi where he was arrested and placed in custody at the palace. Government officials disagreed with how to deal with the former king, and Micombero reacted by dismissing many top officials and dissolving the government to gain more control.
Overview
The triggering event of the outbreak of conflict was an insurrection led by Hutu people in the southern province of Bururi on April 29, 1972, to seize power from the Tutsi government. A group of radical Hutu intellectuals, many of whom were militantly anti-Tutsi, engineered an attack that led to the massacre of hundreds, or possibly thousands, of people, regardless of whether they were military or civilians. Even Hutus and other minority ethnicities who did not immediately join the revolt became victims.
By the late evening of April 29, as the news of the rebellion spread, a state of emergency was declared. Government troops began to mobilize to address the attack. Ntare, although not involved in the attacks, was executed by troops on the order of Micombero, although it was reported to the public that he was killed when his supporters tried to free him from custody. The next day, Micombero also reinstated several public officials whom he had dismissed and replaced civilian governors with military personnel to provide support to neutralize the insurgency. Within twenty-four hours, the rebels were captured and immediately executed.
Despite this, Micombero asked nearby Zaire and Tanzania to help provide troops and munitions to support the fight against the rebels and any subsequent uprising. They complied, and Uganda, Libya, and France also contributed arms and material assistance. However, once the extent of the killing of Hutu civilians became apparent in the following weeks, these countries withdrew their support of Burundi.
The government continued retaliating by repressing any citizen whom the military deemed a threat across the country. Micombero began a campaign of the generalized killing of Hutu people to avenge the lives of the Tutsi initially killed in the revolt. He continued doing this for several months. It started with the systematic executions of Hutu elite, public figures, civil servants, and military members. Then any Hutus, including civilians, found hiding from the troops or those bearing a rebel identifier, such as scars, black shirts, or tattoos, were hunted down and killed by troops.
The turmoil, which was intensified by the earlier dissolution of the government led by Micombero, caused chaos. Many fled to the borders of Zaire and Tanzania to seek refuge in the months following the terror. Foreign journalists were refused entry, United Nations (UN) workers were attacked, and travel by citizens was restricted. However, by June, the wave of violence began to subside, and Micombero worked to restore order and peace to the country. By August, most of the killing had ceased, and on August 23, civilian governors were placed back in control of provinces. The government considered the Ikiza as having concluded. Micombero remained in power until 1976, when he was overthrown in a coup, and the country no longer maintained a single political party.
Bibliography
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