As he arrived in Bujumbura Airport, Minister Ngirente was received by Prosper Bazombanza, the Vice-President of Burundi.

Burundi and Rwanda celebrate Independence Day every 1st July to commemorate the day in 1962 when their gained freedom from Belgian colonial rule.

Participants of the ceremony presided over by President Evariste Ndayishimiye paid tribute to Prince Louis Rwagasore, Burundi’s hero credited for resisting colonial rule.

Belgians had maintained a strong colonial rule by avoiding a unified Burundi nationalist movement by pitting the different ethnic groups against each other.

Louis Rwagasore, the son of King Mwambutsa IV was active in nationalist movements and campaigned for independence from Belgium.

In September 1961 elections before independence, he won 80% of the vote and became the first Prime Minister-elect.

However, Rwagasore was gunned down in a hotel restaurant a few weeks later on 13th October 1961. Though his assassin was Greek, suspicions remain that his murder was sponsored by a pro-Belgian group.

Premier Edouard Ngirente interacting with his counterpart of Burundi, Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni.