On July 10, 1993 Melchior Ndadaye, a forty-year-old Hutu banker, assumed the presidency of Burundi. He appointed to his administration members of his party, Frodebu, but he also appointed members of the previous ruling party, UPRONA, and his prime minister was a female Tutsi ("Still Bleeding," Econ., Jan. 8, '94)

Then on the night of October 20, 1993 troops from the 11th Paratrooper battalion within the Tutsi majority army, stormed the presidential palace in an attempt at a coup. The coup d'etat was led by former president, Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, who had ruled previous to 1987, along with Army Chief of Staff, Colonal Jean Bikomagu. The Army seized the president along with four senior government officials. Rumors varied as the the fate of the president. He was reportedly taken, along with the government officials to an army base near Bujumbura, the capital. He was eventually presumed dead; thought to have been executued the next morning. His family and the prime minister, Sylvie Kinigi, took refuge in the French Embassy. Rebel troops surrounded the presidential palace along with the radio and television stations, and seized Bujumbura's airport ( Mennonite Central.... "http://www.mennonitecc.ca...")

The coup leaders established the Committee of National Salvation to run the country. It was led by former Interior minister Francois Ngeze. Following the coup 700,000 refugees fled the country, which prompted the new government to call a national emergency and seal off the country's borders ("Still Bleeding," Econ., Jan. 8, '94)