Princess Esther Kamatari (born on 30 November 1951 in

Bujumbura Bujumbura (; ), formerly Usumbura, is the economic capital, largest city and main port of Burundi. It ships most of the country's chief export, coffee, as well as cotton and tin ore. Bujumbura was formerly the country's political capital. In la ...

) is a writer, model, and exiled Burundian princess.

Biography

Esther Kamatari grew up in

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 ...

as a member of the

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...

. She was educated at l'Ecole Nationale d'Administration du Burundi. Following independence in 1962, the king was overthrown in a military coup d'état, and the monarchy abolished in 1966. Kamatari fled the country in 1970 after her father's assassination and settled in Paris, where she became the first African model in France. An attempt to re-establish the kingdom ended with the murder of King

Ntare V Ntare V of Burundi (born Charles Ndizeye; 2 December 1947 – 29 April 1972), less commonly numbered Ntare III, was the last king (''mwami'') of Burundi, reigning from July to November 1966. Until his accession, he was known as Crown Prince Char ...

in 1972. Burundi's post-independence history has been dominated by tensions between the

Hutu The Hutu (), also known as the Abahutu, are a Bantu ethnic group native to the African Great Lakes region. They mainly live in Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda where they form one of the principal ethnic groups alongside the Tutsi and the Great L ...

majority and the

Tutsi The Tutsi ( ), also called Watusi, Watutsi or Abatutsi (), are an ethnic group of the African Great Lakes region. They are a Bantu languages, Bantu-speaking ethnic group and the second largest of three main ethnic groups in Rwanda and Burundi ( ...

minority. The

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

of the 1990s in Burundi and conflicts with neighbouring countries and the plight of thousands of child-victims of war led her to become involved with the Association of the People of Burundi in France. In Burundi she is known for her humanitarian work. A peace brokered by South Africa has made elections possible in Burundi, and Esther Kamatari and her Abahuza party, which means "bringing people together," will run on the platform of restoration of the monarchy.

Marriage and children

Esther is married to a French man named Gilles. He is a doctor. They have two children, Jade and Arthur. Esther already had a daughter, Frédérique.

Patronages

* President of Burundian Association in France (since 1990).

Honours

;Foreign honours * SEN Order of the Lion - Knight BAR

Knight of the

National Order of the Lion The National Order of the Lion () is the highest order of Senegal. The order was instituted by Law 60-36 of 22 October 1960 and was awarded to His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I The FIRST as The Grand Cross of The National Order of the Lion ...

(Republic of Senegal, 14 August 2002).

Publications

*Kamatari, E. and Renault, M. 2001. ''Princesse des Rugo, mon histoire''. Bayard,

Ancestry

References

External links

Princess for President of Burundi
via

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

Burundi Princess, top model seeks presidency
via Afrol News
Information about the Dutch translation of Esther Kamatari's autobiography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamatari, Esther 1951 births Living people Burundian non-fiction writers Burundian royalty Burundian women in politics African princesses Burundian expatriates in France 21st-century Burundian women writers 21st-century Burundian writers Recipients of orders, decorations, and medals of Senegal