“Bring back refugees, intellectuals, renew ties,” Bishop Tells Burundi’s New President

The East African nation has been afflicted by unrest since April 2015 when the late President Nkurunziza announced his bid for a disputed third term. As a result of the tension and violence, 1,200 people were reported dead while 400,000 others fled the landlocked country.

Taking his oath of office, President Evariste, a practicing Catholic, pledged to “devote all my force to defending the superior interests of the nation and ensure the national unity and cohesion of the Burundian people, peace and social justice.”

The late President Nkurunziza and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame also fell out as a result of the 2015 unrest, their relations negatively affecting the citizens of the two neighboring nations. 

Referencing this conflict, President Evariste said that Burundi needs good neighbors and that “differences between countries should not be solved by the size of power but with mutual respect (and) dialogue.”

The 52-year-old President also promised to ensure freedom of expression and the protection of human rights. 

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“Everyone should be free to express ideas and challenges to the government. No one should believe only politicians are able to,” BBC quoted the President as saying.

He also called on the media and human rights activists to partner with the government in tackling national issues.

The late Nkurunziza’s government revoked licences of some media entities and banned some international media from the country, moves that put to question the level of media freedom in the East African nation.

Speaking to ACI Africa on the day of the inauguration, Burundians expressed their hopes and sentiments about the new leadership.

“I have many expectations from our new President Évariste Ndayishimiye. First, the restoration of good relations with the neighboring countries and the international community,” said Audace Makado, a member of the Society of Missionaries of Africa. 

He added, “Burundi is a war-torn country due to ethnic conflict between Hutus and Tutsis. So, we need a reconciling President and a reconciling government. Burundians need more peace and to live in harmony. I expect from our new President to work hard in this area.”

The member of the Society of Apostolic Life also said that “after President Pierre Nkurunziza's third term, many Burundians fled the country to the neighboring countries because their lives were in danger. So, we expect that with the new government, those people will come back into the country.”

For Gabriella Kirezi, “a new government means a future for each and every one of us and hope that all the broken hearts can finally heal, that everything will be better going forward.”

“The only thing we can look forward to is a positive change,” she told ACI Africa and added, “I pray for the new government that they do not stray from the right way, that the God Almighty that they claim to serve may guide them from now to 2027.”

According to Kwizera Françoise, extrajudicial killings in the country are an issue of concern that President Evariste must address.

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She added, “Because the relationship between Burundi and the neighboring countries is not good, I expect the new President to make good relations with other countries. She echoed the sentiments of other who want the new government to prioritize the repatriation of Burundi refugees.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.