Jean Bikomagu

Jean Bikomagu
DiedAugust 15, 2015
Bujumbura,  Burundi
Cause of deathAssassination
Resting placeBujumbura, Burundi
NationalityBurundian

Jean Bikomagu (died August 15, 2015) was a Burundian colonel, military officer and former army chief. Bikomagu held the position of Army Chief of Staff during the Burundian Civil War (1993–2005).[1][2] Burundi's army was dominated by ethnic Tutsis during the civil war.[1]

In 1992 Bikomagu served as the commander of the Cibitoke Army Camp.[3] President Melchior Ndadaye appointed him as Army Chief of Staff in 1993.[4] President Pierre Buyoya dismissed him on 21 August 1996.[5] Bikomagu was shot and killed by assailants on August 15, 2015, as he was arriving at his home in the Kinindo district of southern Bujumbura.[1] His daughter was seriously wounded in the attack.[2] His assassination, and other killings in Burundi, raised concerns that the at the time ongoing 2015 Burundian unrest could have been escalating.[1][2]

  1. ^ a b c d "Ex-army chief killed as Burundi crisis 'spirals out of control'". France 24. 2015-08-15. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
  2. ^ a b c "Former army chief Bikomagu shot dead in Burundi capital". Al Jazeera. 2015-08-15. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
  3. ^ Clegg, Sam (14 April 1992). "In Brief: Cibitoke, Burundi". Daily Graphic. No. 12872. p. 2.
  4. ^ Watson, Catherine (September 1993). "Freed From Fear". Africa Report. Vol. 38, no. 5. pp. 58–61.
  5. ^ "Burundi's New Leader Dismisses 3 Top Aides". The New York Times. Reuters. 21 August 1996. p. A11.