This chapter will present a largely chronological overview of transitional justice responses to each of the sets of events mentioned above. These responses will be looked at from the perspective of the four transitional justice objectives of truth, accountability, reparation and reconciliation (obviously taking into account the extent to which each of these intakes is relevant for the particular situation). In order to do so, the transitional justice response will be placed in the prevailing constitutional, institutional and general legal context. For each of the sets of events, the analysis will cover the transitional justice response that followed in their (more or less) immediate aftermath. 3 will cover the transitional justice response insofar as it was part of the Arusha peace negotiations process (starting in June 1998), the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement of August 2000 and its aftermath, including the negotiations between the UN and the Burundian government on the implementation of the Kalomoh report. The (proposed) transitional justice process dealt with in Chapter 3 is, in fact, not exclusively related to one particular set of events, but to the various sets of events spread in time during all of Burundi's post-colonial history.

THE 1965 EVENTS

As described above, the 1965 massacres should be considered in the context of the leadership crisis that was unleashed within Uprona by the assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore in October 1961, one month after he and his party won the legislative elections.

THE AFTERMATH OF THE ASSASSINATION OF PRINCE LOUIS RWAGASORE AND OTHER POLITICAL VIOLENCE BEFORE INDEPENDENCE

The assassination of the Prime Minister of Burundi, occurring at a time when Ruanda-Urundi was still a trust territory, prompted an immediate reaction by the UN General Assembly. UN General Assembly resolution 1627 (XVI) called for an investigation into the circumstances of the Rwagasore's death by the UN Commission for Ruanda-Urundi, considering that “an inquiry and punishment of those responsible for the dastardly act are called for”. The Commission submitted a preliminary report on 11 November 1961 and a final report on 26 January 1962.