1996 — The Bujumbura Coup

On July 25, 1996, Burundi's fragile peace collapsed. Former president Pierre Buyoya seized power in a military coup in Bujumbura, overthrowing Sylvestre Ntibantunganya. The country had already been drowning in ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi, with tens of thousands killed before the coup struck that day.

The coup made everything worse. Buyoya stayed in power until 2003, when he finally handed over to a transitional government. Regional neighbors had slapped Burundi with harsh sanctions, isolating the country for years. In the end, some 300,000 Burundians died in the long and devastating war that followed those difficult years for the country.