# Melchior Ndadaye

_President of Burundi (1953–1993)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/melchior-ndadaye
Last updated: 2026-11-03

> Melchior Ndadaye was a Burundian banker and politician who became the first democratically elected and first Hutu president of Burundi after winning the landmark 1993 election. Though he attempted to smooth the country's bitter ethnic divide, his reforms antagonised soldiers in the Tutsi-dominated army, and he was assassinated amidst a failed military coup in October 1993, after only three months in office. His assassination sparked an array of brutal tit-for-tat massacres between the Tutsi and Hutu ethnic groups, and ultimately led to the decade-long Burundi Civil War.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 28 March 1953 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q457201#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Mwaro ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q457201#P19))
- **Died:** 21 October 1993 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q457201#P570))
- **Place of death:** Bujumbura ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q457201#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Burundi ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q457201#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; banker ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q457201#P106))
- **Political party:** Front for Democracy in Burundi; Burundi Workers' Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q457201#P102))
- **Education:** National University of Rwanda; Conservatoire national des Arts et Métiers ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q457201#P69))
- **Positions held:** President of Burundi (10 July 1993 – 21 October 1993) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q457201#P39))
- **Awards:** Al-Gaddafi International Prize for Human Rights ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q457201#P166))

## Questions

**When was Melchior Ndadaye born?**  
Melchior Ndadaye was born on 28 March 1953 in Mwaro.

**What positions has Melchior Ndadaye held?**  
Positions held by Melchior Ndadaye include: President of Burundi (1993–1993).

**Where did Melchior Ndadaye study?**  
Melchior Ndadaye was educated at National University of Rwanda, Conservatoire national des Arts et Métiers.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Melchior Ndadaye](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melchior_Ndadaye) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q457201](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q457201) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Melchior Ndadaye speaking to RTNB at Bujumbura airport.jpg by RTNB (Burundi National Radio and Television) (CC BY 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Melchior_Ndadaye_speaking_to_RTNB_at_Bujumbura_airport.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Melchior Ndadaye, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Melchior Ndadaye speaking to RTNB at Bujumbura airport.jpg — RTNB (Burundi National Radio and Television), CC BY 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Melchior Ndadaye". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/melchior-ndadaye. Retrieved 5 November 2026.