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| 1. Burundi |
| 1961 |
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| The Union pour le Progrés National (UPRONA), founded in 1958 by Ganwa Rwagasore, son of Mwami Mwambutsa IV, won the elections held prior to independence. Rwagasore campaigned for unity between the Hutu peasantry and the elite Tutsi minority until his assassination in 1962. | 1 |
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| 1962 |
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| Burundi gained independence under conditions of ethnic polarization between Tutsi and Hutu factions of the ruling UPRONA Party. Rwagasore was assassinated, but the monarchy continued to maintain a balance between Hutu and Tutsi until the abolition of the monarchy in 1966. | 2 |
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| 1963, June |
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| The intervention of the Burundi king, Mwami Mwambutsa IV, in the political situation led to the resignation of Prime Minister Muhirwa and to increasing royal domination of politics. | 3 |
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| 1965 |
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| An attempted coup by Hutu officers in Burundi led to a purge and the execution of Hutu leaders and the massacre of thousands of Hutu peasants by the Tutsi military and Tutsi mobs. After this date, the Hutu played only a nominal role in the central government. | 4 |
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| 1966 |
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| Mwami Mwambutsa was deposed and a republic was declared, ending the balance between ethnic groups and between regions; the new ruling bloc was dominated by southern Tutsi. | 5 |
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| 1972 |
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| Hutu were blamed for a coup attempt in which Mwami Ntare V was killed. Perhaps 5 percent of the Burundi population (50,000–100,000) died in mass ethnic violence against the Hutu by the Tutsi, hardening the Tutsi ruling class's determination to exclude the Hutu. The Tutsi were left in undisputed control of the army and government. | 6 |
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| 1974 |
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| UPRONA became the sole legal party. | 7 |
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| 1987, Sept |
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| Maj. Pierre Buyoya assumed power with a military council. | 8 |
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| 1988 |
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| Hutu rioting killed more than 1,000 Tutsi, leading to army reprisals in which at least 100,000 Hutu were killed. A massive flight of refugees to Rwanda followed. | 9 |
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| 1993, Oct |
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| The president was ousted and killed three months after the newly elected government had taken office in Burundi, leading to a severe outbreak of ethnic violence and a flood of refugees to neighboring countries. | 10 |
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| 1994, Jan. 13 |
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| The Burundi Parliament elected Cyprien Ntaryamir as president, in order to replace Melchiar Ndadaya, who was assassinated in Oct. 1993. | 11 |
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| Sept. 30 |
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| The assembly elected Sylvestre Ntibantunganya president, replacing Ntaryamir, who had died in an airplane crash. | 12 |
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