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Corpse of late former Burundian President Bagaza to be repatriated from Belgium

Xinhua, May 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

The corpse of former Burundian President Jean Baptiste Bagaza dead of a disease in a Belgian hospital on May 4 will arrive in Bujumbura on Sunday, the Burundian government announced Saturday.

"The Burundian government will repatriate the corpse of former Burundian President Colonel Jean Baptiste Bagaza from Belgium. The corpse is expected here (in Bujumbura) on Sunday night and senior officials will pay tribute to the late President Bagaza on Monday morning at Kigobe Parliament House where his corpse will be exposed," said Burundian Home Affairs Ministry Spokesman Therence Ntahiraja in a statement.

According to him, the burial ceremonies will take place on Tuesday in a "prepared" place in the Burundian capital Bujumbura after a church service that will take place at Regina Mundi Cathedral.

The late former Burundian President Colonel Jean Baptiste Bagaza died of a disease in Brussels, Belgium.

Bagaza died at the age of 69 and had ruled Burundi between 1976 and 1987 before he was deposed by former Burundian President Major Pierre Buyoya.

The late Bagaza, who was a senator, will be remembered for having boosted Burundi's economy through building the east African infrastructures notably roads, schools, hospitals and hydropower dams. Endit