Burundi National Defense Forces
| National Defence Force | |
|---|---|
| Force de defense nationale | |
 |
|
| Service branches | Army Gendarmerie |
| Headquarters | Bujumbura |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | President Pierre Nkurunziza |
| Minister of National Defense & War Veterans | Emmanuel Ntahomvukiye |
| Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (Chef d'Etat-Major Général de la FDN) | Major General Prime Niyongabo |
| Manpower | |
| Active personnel | 20,000 Army personnel 30,000 paramilitary |
| Expenditures | |
| Percent of GDP | 3.7% (2011) |
The National Defence Force is the state military organisation responsible for the defence of Burundi. A general staff (État-Major Général) commands the armed forces, consisting of a joint staff (État-Major inter-armes); a training staff (État-Major de la Formation), and a logistics staff (État-Major de la Logistique). Naval and aviation commands exist, as well as specialised units.
Burundi gained independence in July 1962. In October 1965, an attempted coup d'état led by the Hutu-dominated police was carried out but failed. The Tutsi dominated army, then led by Tutsi officer Captain Michel Micombero purged Hutu from their ranks and carried out reprisal attacks which ultimately claimed the lives of up to 5,000 people in a predecessor to the 1972 Burundian Genocide. Micombero then became Prime Minister.
King Mwambutsa, who had fled the country during the October coup of 1965, was deposed by a coup in July 1966 and his teenage son, Prince Ntare V, claimed the throne. Later that same year, Prime Minister, then-Captain, Michel Micombero, carried out another coup in November, 1966, this time deposing Ntare, abolishing the monarchy and declaring the nation a republic. His one-party government was effectively a military dictatorship. As president, Micombero became an advocate of African socialism and received support from the People's Republic of China. He imposed a staunch regime of law and order and sharply repressed Hutu militarism. After Micombero's coup d’etat which deposed the monarchy, he became first general in Burundian history. He was also commissioned by the National Council of the Revolution (French: Conseil National de la Révolution (CNR)), and made a Lieutenant Général. In his turn, Micombero raised Thomas Ndabemeye to the grade of Major General. They were the sole generals of the First Republic.
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