General Évariste Ndayishimiye, the current President of Burundi, was born on June 17, 1968, in Giheta, Burundi. After serving in the Burundi Army for decades, in 1991, he began studies in law at the Université du Burundi in Bujumbura. However, during his second year in … Read MoreÉvariste “Neva” Ndayishimiye (1968- )
André Muhirwa was the first prime minister of independent Burundi. He was born in 1920 in Murete, Ruanda-Urundi (then a Belgian colony). His father, Mbanzabugabo, was a rural chief. In 1930 when Muhirwa’s father died the Belgian colonial government appointed a successor to the chieftaincy … Read MoreAndré Muhirwa (1920-2003)
Dr. Denis Mukwege is a Nobel Prize-winning gynecologist, human rights activist, and Pentecostal pastor from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He specializes in the treatment of women who have experienced sexual violence during armed conflicts. The recipient of numerous international honors and awards, … Read MoreDenis Mukwege (1955- )
Juvénal Habyarimana, President of Rwanda, was born on March 8, 1937, in Gasiza, in the Gisenyi province of what was at this time the Ruanda-Urundi mandate, controlled by Belgium. Habyarimana was an Hutu, whose parents, Jean-Baptiste Ntibazilikana and Suzanne Nyirazuba, were Christians. He went to a Catholic primary school, but then … Read MoreJuvénal Habyarimana (1937-1994)
The Third Congo Civil War—also known as Africa’s World War—was a five-year conflict that occurred primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Nine African countries eventually became involved in the war other than the DRC: Angola, Chad, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, and … Read MoreThird Congo Civil War (1998-2003)
The Second Congo Civil War was the struggle to overthrow long-time Zaire President Mobutu Sese Seko by Laurent-Désiré Kabila, the leader of the Alliance of Democratic Forces of the Liberation of Congo (ADFLC). Kabila initially had the support of governments in neighboring nations including Angola, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. During the year-long conflict an … Read MoreSecond Congo Civil War (1996-1997)
Nyamko Ana Sabuni is a Swedish politician and former government cabinet minister. She was born in Bujumbura, Burundi, on March 31, 1969. The family relocated in exile after her father, Maurice Sabuni, a left-wing politician from Congo (formerly Zaire) had been frequently jailed. The Sabuni … Read MoreNyamko Ana Sabuni (1969– )
C. Steven McGann joined the Foreign Service in 1992 and has since attained the status of Career member, Senior Foreign Service, with the rank of Minister-Counselor (FE-MC). His overseas posts have included Taiwan, Zaire, South Africa, Australia, and Kenya. A member of the United States … Read MoreC. Steven McGann (1951 – )
Alfonso E. Lenhardt is currently Acting Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania from 2009 to 2013. A native of New York City, New York, Ambassador Lenhardt began his … Read MoreAlfonso E. Lenhardt (1943- )
Ambassador Jendayi E. Frazer is currently on the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania. She has been there since 2009 as the university’s Distinguished Public service Professor in the Heinz College School of Public Policy and Management. Frazer is also the Director of Center … Read MoreJendayi E. Frazer (1961- )
