Posted
on September 18, 2014
Today
the world-famous Royal Drummers of Burundi will be playing
traditional beats, and dancers will be performing the abatimbo
and the abanyagasimbo,
celebrating the anniversary of the 1961 victory of the UPRONA
political party in U.N.-assisted elections for the National Assembly.
Violence
between the Hutu and the Tutsi people—the same ethnic fighting that
devastated Burundi's neighbor, Rwanda—had cropped up again and
again in Burundi ever since the Tutsi's arrived in that African land
in the 15th
Century.
When
European nations colonized Africa, Germany and later Belgium
colonized Burundi and Rwanda, but they left in place the governmental
structures and officers, which meant also leaving in place constant
struggles between different groups, rivalry, court intrigue. After
World War II, Ruanda-Urundi (now Burundi and Rwanda) became a United
Nations trust territory but remained under Belgian administration.
And when the elections were held in 1961, the party headed by Prince
Louis Rwagasore, who was the eldest son of the current mwami, won in
a big way—what is called a “sweeping victory”!
Unfortunately,
less than a month after the Prince was voted in, he was assassinated!
This drumming video features
dancers as well.
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on this date:
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