Joseph Biroli
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Joseph Biroli-Baranyanka or Joseph Biroli (28 May 1929 – 15 January 1963) was a
Burundi Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with a population of over 14 million peop ...
an politician and was the first Burundian to receive a university education. Born in 1929 to a prominent
chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boat ...
, he was a
Ganwa Ganwa is the name for the princely group that traditionally ruled Burundi. They formed a distinct social class that was neither Hutu nor Tutsi The Tutsi ( ), also called Watusi, Watutsi or Abatutsi (), are an ethnic group of the African Great ...
of the Batare clan. He performed well as a student and earned a diploma from the Institut universitaire des Territoires d'Outre-Mer in 1953. After continuing his education at several other universities he took up work for the
European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...
. In 1960 his brother Jean-Baptiste Ntidendereza co-founded the
Christian Democratic Party __NOTOC__ Christian democratic parties are political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social tea ...
(''Parti Démocratique Chrétien'', PDC), and Biroli became the party's president. His main political rival was Prince
Louis Rwagasore Prince Louis Rwagasore (; 10 January 1932 – 13 October 1961) was a Burundian prince and politician, who was the second prime minister of Burundi for two weeks, from 28 September 1961 until his assassination on 13 October. Born to the Ganwa f ...
, a Ganwa of the Bezi clan who led the
Union for National Progress The Union for National Progress (, UPRONA) is a nationalist political party in Burundi. Initially it emerged as a nationalist united front in opposition to Belgian colonial rule but subsequently became an integral part of the one-party state esta ...
(''Union pour le Progres National'', UPRONA). Biroli was friendly to the Belgian colonial administration in
Ruanda-Urundi Ruanda-Urundi (), later Rwanda-Burundi, was a geopolitical entity, once part of German East Africa, that was occupied by troops from the Belgian Congo during the East African campaign in World War I and was administered by Belgium under milit ...
, while UPRONA demanded immediate independence. In May 1961 Ntidendereza replaced Brioli as PDC president, and the latter became head of the party's
public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...
. Burundi hosted
legislative elections A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General elections ...
in September in 1961, which were handily won by UPRONA. In October Rwagasore was murdered, and the subsequent investigation implicated Biroli and Ntidendereza. Biroli was found guilty and initially sentenced to life in prison, but in a retrial he was sentenced to death and was executed alongside his brother and other co-conspirators in 1963.


Early life

Joseph Biroli-Baranyanka was born on 28 May 1929. Ethnically, he was
Ganwa Ganwa is the name for the princely group that traditionally ruled Burundi. They formed a distinct social class that was neither Hutu nor Tutsi The Tutsi ( ), also called Watusi, Watutsi or Abatutsi (), are an ethnic group of the African Great ...
of the Batare clan, and was a son of Pierre Baranyanka, a paramount
chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boat ...
with close relations to the Belgian colonial administration in
Ruanda-Urundi Ruanda-Urundi (), later Rwanda-Burundi, was a geopolitical entity, once part of German East Africa, that was occupied by troops from the Belgian Congo during the East African campaign in World War I and was administered by Belgium under milit ...
. He attended primary school in Kayanza before enrolling at the Groupe Scolaire d'Astrida. In 1949 he was admitted to the Institut universitaire des Territoires d'Outre-Mer in
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
. He performed well as a student and graduated in July 1953 with a diploma in colonial and
political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
s. He then secured a degree in economics at the
Catholic University of Leuven University of Leuven or University of Louvain (; ) may refer to: * Old University of Leuven (1425–1797) * State University of Leuven (1817–1835) * Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968) * Katholieke Universiteit Leuven or KU Leuven (1968 ...
in September 1956 before working as a scholar at
St Antony's College, Oxford St Antony's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1950 as the result of the gift of French merchant Sir Antonin Besse of Aden, St Antony's specialises in international relations, economics, politic ...
, from 1957 to 1958 and participating in an international seminar at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
in 1957. This made him the first Burundian to receive a university education. He then worked for the
European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...
. In 1958 he joined a Brussels-based interracial
working group A working group is a group of experts working together to achieve specified goals. Such groups are domain-specific and focus on discussion or activity around a specific subject area. The term can sometimes refer to an interdisciplinary collab ...
, the Groupe Marzorati, to study modern problems in Africa. He served as its vice-chairman and was responsible for a seminar on social and cultural affairs.


Political career

Biroli supported a political union between Ruanda and Urundi. In 1960 his brother Jean-Baptiste Ntidendereza co-founded the
Christian Democratic Party __NOTOC__ Christian democratic parties are political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social tea ...
(''Parti Démocratique Chrétien'', PDC). Biroli subsequently became the party's president. The PDC's main rival was the
Union for National Progress The Union for National Progress (, UPRONA) is a nationalist political party in Burundi. Initially it emerged as a nationalist united front in opposition to Belgian colonial rule but subsequently became an integral part of the one-party state esta ...
(''Union pour le Progres National'', UPRONA) led by Prince
Louis Rwagasore Prince Louis Rwagasore (; 10 January 1932 – 13 October 1961) was a Burundian prince and politician, who was the second prime minister of Burundi for two weeks, from 28 September 1961 until his assassination on 13 October. Born to the Ganwa f ...
, a Ganwa of the Bezi clan. Biroli and Rwagasore publicly held significant dislike for one another. Biroli had garnered a reputation in European social circles as more sophisticated and urbane than the prince, and was held in higher regard by the Belgian administration. The PDC, unlike UPRONA, rejected calls for immediate independence and instead focused its platform on socioeconomic reform. Despite
ideological An ideology is a set of beliefs or values attributed to a person or group of persons, especially those held for reasons that are not purely about belief in certain knowledge, in which "practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones". Form ...
differences, the rivalries between the two parties were primarily fueled by the intra-nobility conflicts, as the Bezi and Batare lineages backed UPRONA and PDC respectively. The two lineages had long struggled for control of the country. One of Biroli's other brothers, Charles Baranyanka, joined UPRONA and became a diplomat. As civil order broke down and the Congo fell into
crisis A crisis (: crises; : critical) is any event or period that will lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affairs, especially when ...
, Biroli released a joint
communique A press release (also known as a media release) is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing new information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public releas ...
with Rwagasore on 15 July, appealing for calm and racial harmony, saying Burundi had "the unique chance ..to create in the heart of Africa an island of peace, tranquility and prosperity." His decision to sign the communique with Rwagasore shocked colonial administration officials. As PDC president, in September 1960 Biroli led the Burundian delegation to a conference held in Brussels to discuss the decolonisation of Urundi and the organisation of elections. In November Urundi hosted communal elections. Rwagasore was placed under
house arrest House arrest (also called home confinement, or nowadays electronic monitoring) is a legal measure where a person is required to remain at their residence under supervision, typically as an alternative to imprisonment. The person is confined b ...
, hampering UPRONA's campaign, and the PDC emerged as the victor, winning 942 of 2,876 local offices. In December Biroli went to New York to address the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...
. Upon his return he announced his dissatisfaction with the attitudes of the Afro-Asian countries, feeling they were too hostile towards Belgium. Following ethnic violence in Ruanda, the UN General Assembly recommended the postponement of general elections in Urundi. Biroli attended a conference in
Ostend Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...
in January 1961 and joined the other Burundian delegates in opposing this move, though Belgium acceded to the UN's wishes. In May Ntidendereza replaced Brioli as PDC president, and the latter became head of the party's
public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...
. For the 1961 legislative elections, UPRONA concentrated its entire election campaign on Rwagasore, using his charisma to rally substantial support. The PDC had assumed a certain victory due to its success during the November 1960 communal elections and began its election campaign late. To oppose UPRONA it formed a
cartel A cartel is a group of independent market participants who collaborate with each other as well as agreeing not to compete with each other in order to improve their profits and dominate the market. A cartel is an organization formed by producers ...
with other parties, termed the
Common Front In politics, a common front is an alliance between different groups, forces, or interests in pursuit of a common goal or in opposition to a common enemy. Other words that may be used are "alliance" or "coalition", though the term "common front" is ...
(''Front Commun''). The elections were held on 18 September 1961. With approximately 80% voter turnout, UPRONA won 58 of 64 seats in the Legislative Assembly, and Rwagasore was declared
prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
designate.


Death

On 13 October 1961 Rwagasore was
assassinated Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...
by a Greek national, Ioannis Kageorgis. Within three days the police had arrested Kageorgis and three Burundian accomplices: Antoine Nahimana, Henri Ntakiyica, and Jean-Baptiste Ntakiyica. The latter three were all members of the PDC. The group quickly admitted responsibility for the murder and incriminated three other persons in their plot: Michel Iatrou, Ntidendereza, and Biroli. Kageorgis told the police that Ntidendereza and Biroli asked him to shoot the prime minister, and that Biroli assured had him that there would only be a minimal investigation into the affair. Some accounts reported that Biroli had sexual relations with Iatrou and Kageorgis. The investigators concluded that Ntidendereza and Biroli planned the assassination. Iatrou denied this, while Ntidendereza initially implicated himself in the conspiracy before later recanting his
testimony Testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. Etymology The words "testimony" and "testify" both derive from the Latin word ''testis'', referring to the notion of a disinterested third-party witness. Law In the law, testimon ...
. Biroli admitted to attending a meeting with the other two where "it was decided to kill Rwagasore". For his role in the plot, Biroli was initially sentenced to life in prison. On 30 June 1962, one day before Burundi's independence, Kageorgis was executed. Biroli wrote several letters from prison complaining of the miscarriage of justice and alleging torture. Following independence Burundi established a
Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
with retroactive
competence Broad concept article: *Competence (polyseme), capacity or ability to perform effectively Competence or competency may also refer to: *Competence (human resources), ability of a person to do a job properly **Competence-based management, performa ...
, and on 27 October it ruled the previous trials to have violated the right to judgement by a jury established by the new
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
and ordered a retrial. On 27 November the lower court found Ntidendereza, Biroli, Nahimana, Iatrou, and Ntakiyica guilty and sentenced them to death. Officials at St Antony's College attempted to dispatch a lawyer to Burundi and petition Biroli's case to the
United Nations Commission on Human Rights The United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) was a functional commission within the United Nations System, overall framework of the United Nations from 1946 until it was replaced by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006. It was a ...
, but were unable to intervene in time. The defendants' final appeal to the Supreme Court was denied, as were the attempts of the Belgian government to convince
Mwami ''Mwami'' () is an honorific title common in parts of Central and East Africa. The title means ''chief'' or ''tribal chief'' in several Bantu languages. It was historically used by kings in several African nations, and is still used for traditi ...
Mwambutsa IV to offer clemency, and on 15 January 1963 all five were publicly
hanged Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...
in the
Gitega Gitega (), formerly Kitega, is the political capital of Burundi. Located in the centre of the country, in the Burundian central plateau roughly east of Bujumbura, the largest city and former political capital, Gitega is the country's fourth la ...
stadium before thousands of people. With the PDC's loss in the legislative elections and the execution of Ntidendereza and Biroli, the party ceased to be a viable political force. Biroli and his brother were buried in the Mushasha cemetery in Gitega.


References


Works cited

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Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Biroli, Joseph 1929 births 1963 deaths Burundian politicians Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968) alumni Ganwa people