1987 Burundian Coup D'état

Tutsi president Jean-Baptiste Bagaza was deposed whilst traveling abroad and succeeded by Tutsi Major Pierre Buyoya.

1987 Burundian coup d'état

Location of Burundi in Central Africa
Date	3 September 1987
Location	Bujumbura, Burundi
Type	Military coup
Motive	Regime change
Target	Presidential Palace, Bujumbura
Organised by	Pierre Buyoya
Outcome	Coup succeeds Jean-Baptiste Bagaza is ousted by Pierre Buyoya Formation of the Military Committee for National Salvation Buyoya is inaugurated as president

Jean-Baptiste Bagaza was appointed president of Burundi following a military coup in 1976, that deposed Michel Micombero. As president of the Union for National Progress (UPRONA) party, he was the sole candidate in the 1984 presidential election and was re-elected with 99.6% of the votes. During Bagaza's presidency, there were long-standing tensions over the repression of the Roman Catholic Church, in a country where 65% of citizens are practising Catholics. This was later described by diplomats as a key factor in the coup.

In September 1987, Bagaza travelled to Quebec, Canada, to attend a francophone summit. The army took over, led by Bagaza's cousin, Major Pierre Buyoya. Hearing of the coup, Bagaza immediately returned to Africa but Bujumbura Airport was closed, and in Nairobi, he was refused entrance to Kenya. Following the coup, Bagaza fled to Uganda, and then in 1989, Libya, where he was granted political asylum.

Buyoya formed the Military Committee for National Salvation to take control, suspended the country's constitution and was inaugurated as president on 2 October 1987. Buyoya, a Roman Catholic, said that he would lift measures imposed on the Catholic Church by Bagaza's government. He was succeeded by Melchior Ndadaye following the 1993 presidential election, and came to power in Burundi for a second time following a military coup in 1996, that ousted Sylvestre Ntibantunganya.