# Jean-Baptiste Bagaza

_President of Burundi (1946-2016)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/jean-baptiste-bagaza
Last updated: 2026-11-03

> Jean-Baptiste Bagaza was a Burundian army officer and politician who ruled Burundi as president and de facto military dictator from November 1976 to September 1987.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 29 August 1946 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q377765#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Rutovu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q377765#P19))
- **Died:** 4 May 2016 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q377765#P570))
- **Place of death:** Brussels ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q377765#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Burundi ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q377765#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; military personnel; head of state ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q377765#P106))
- **Political party:** Party for National Recovery (since May 1994); Union for National Progress (until 1994) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q377765#P102))
- **Education:** Royal Military Academy ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q377765#P69))
- **Positions held:** President of Burundi (2 November 1976 – 3 September 1987); Minister of National Defence (1976–1987) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q377765#P39))

## Questions

**When was Jean-Baptiste Bagaza born?**  
Jean-Baptiste Bagaza was born on 29 August 1946 in Rutovu.

**What positions has Jean-Baptiste Bagaza held?**  
Positions held by Jean-Baptiste Bagaza include: President of Burundi (1976–1987); Minister of National Defence (1976–1987).

**Where did Jean-Baptiste Bagaza study?**  
Jean-Baptiste Bagaza was educated at Royal Military Academy.

## Related

- [Pierre Nkurunziza](https://diginpl.com/people/pierre-nkurunziza)
- [Michel Micombero](https://diginpl.com/people/michel-micombero)
- [Sylvie Kinigi](https://diginpl.com/people/sylvie-kinigi)
- [Sylvestre Ntibantunganya](https://diginpl.com/people/sylvestre-ntibantunganya)
- [François Ngeze](https://diginpl.com/people/francois-ngeze)
- [Pierre Buyoya](https://diginpl.com/people/pierre-buyoya)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Jean-Baptiste Bagaza](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste_Bagaza) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q377765](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q377765) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Jean Baptiste Bagaza - 1978.tiff by Jean-Louis Debaize (CC BY 4.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jean_Baptiste_Bagaza_-_1978.tiff)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Jean Baptiste Bagaza - 1978.tiff — Jean-Louis Debaize, CC BY 4.0.

## Cite this page

"Jean-Baptiste Bagaza". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/jean-baptiste-bagaza. Retrieved 7 November 2026.