16 Facts About Gilles Bimazubute

Gilles Bimazubute was born in 1934 in the Ijenda region, Ruanda-Urundi.

Gilles Bimazubute was a member of the Abasapfu clan of the Tutsi ethnic group.

Gilles Bimazubute attended the Official University of the Congo and Ruanda-Urundi in Elisabethville from 1958 until his expulsion in 1961.

Gilles Bimazubute was married to the niece of politician Andre Muhirwa.

Gilles Bimazubute subsequently studied law at the University of Paris from 1964 to 1966, but did not complete his studies.

Gilles Bimazubute became Director General of the Ministry of Information and on 17 January 1967 was made secretary general to the presidency.

Gilles Bimazubute attempted to arrange a diplomatic rapprochement between Burundi and China, but Micombero vetoed this proposal.

Micombero continued to distrust his ideological politics, and in August 1969 Gilles Bimazubute was dismissed from all of his offices.

In September 1969 Gilles Bimazubute was placed on the Bujumbura Conseil du Sages.

On 14 July 1972 Gilles Bimazubute was recalled to Burundi and made Minister of Education.

Gilles Bimazubute ordered the consolidation of schools following the Ikiza, an event in which the army massacred thousands of educated Hutus, driving many students and teachers out of the country.

In February 1991 Gilles Bimazubute became one of the twelve founding members of the Iteka League, a human rights association.

Gilles Bimazubute joined the Front pour la Democratie au Burundi.

Gilles Bimazubute insisted on dressing in a full suit and tie before the soldiers took him away.

Gilles Bimazubute was the only Tutsi killed during the coup attempt.

The deaths of President Melchior Ndadaye, President of the National Assembly Pontien Karibwami, and Gilles Bimazubute eliminated the constitutionally-delineated presidential line of succession.