Pierre Ngendandumwe

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Pierre Ngendandumwe (1930 - January 15, 1965) was a Burundian political figure. He was a member of the Union for National Progress and was an ethnic Hutu. On June 18, 1963, about a year after Burundi gained independence and amidst efforts to bring about political cooperation between Hutus and the dominant minority Tutsis, Ngendandumwe became Burundi's first Hutu prime minister. He served as prime minister until April 6, 1964 and then became prime minister again on January 7, 1965, serving until his death. Just 8 days after beginning his second term, he was assassinated by a Rwandan Tutsi refugee who is believed to have been employed at the American embassy in Burundi. It is believed by some that Ngendandumwe's assassination was aided by the United States Central Intelligence Agency though it is not known for sure. The assassination led to a renewed escalation of unrest between Tutsis and Hutus, particularly after his Hutu successor, Joseph Bamina was assassinated later in 1965.