Evariste Ndayishimiye, candidate for the governing Burundian party CNDD-FDD, was declared the winner of Burundi’s May 20th election by the Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendante (CENI). Ndayishimiye campaigned to “fight poverty and develop the country” and received approximately 67% of the vote while his opponent, Agathon Rwasa of the National Freedom […]
Burundi is the converging point of the African Great Lakes region and East Africa, but finding political stability in its presidential situation has been a complex, unanswered concern for Burundians. The world anticipates seeing fair, impartial voting in the upcoming May 20th elections largely because Incumbent Pierre Nkurunziza has promised […]
Human rights abuses and severe crackdowns on civil liberties continue to mount as Burundi prepares for its presidential elections on May 20. The elections have long been a source of anxiety amongst human rights watchdogs, who fear that current president Pierre Nkurunziza’s party, the National Council for the Defense of […]
On Monday, Burundi’s political parties started campaigning for next month’s presidential elections despite opposition accusations of intimidation, as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In Burundi, there has only been one death and fifteen Coronavirus cases found with minimal symptoms; thus, authorities are pushing for the May 20th vote, searching […]
Last Sunday, violent fighting broke out in Bujumbura, the economic capital of Burundi, between an armed group and police forces. The violence resulted in the deaths of 22 so-called “evil-doers” and two police officers. The fighting is thought to be tied to the country’s upcoming election since the violent events […]
In a world full of sadness, war, and struggle it can often be a challenge to see the good that we as humans also do. 2019 and a whole decade has come to an end, so I thought we should reflect on some of the amazing things we have done […]
Tanzania has been home to hundreds of thousands of refugees over decades and offered citizenship to tens of thousands since 1972. Recently, Tanzania has begun coercively expelling refugees, and 163,000 Burundians have left fearing arrest or deportation. This comes following the October 11th comment by President John Magufuli that Burundian […]
Despite the persistent assurance of the government, and notably President Pierre Nkurunziza leader of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy, the Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD–FDD) inquiry on human rights in the Republic of Burundi has been sustained. The inquiry has been precipitated by Burundi’s withdrawal […]
Global coffee consumption is on the rise with trade statistics from the International Coffee Organization (ICO) indicating world coffee exports have grown from 9.13 million bags in 2016 to 10.9 million bags in 2019. In the recent decade, women’s role in the global coffee supply chain has gained traction as […]
“The last thing I remember of Syria before we left, was when my mother was taking me from our place to our grandparents. The roads were full of dead people. {…} I left my kitten, my friend, my school. I miss my home a lot. I hope one day we’ll […]
Comoros president Azali Assoumani is the latest African president to use a constitutional reform to cling to power with an iron fist. The Comoros National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced on 31 July that an overwhelming majority of the country (92.74%) voted for government-backed constitutional reforms that will allow the president […]
On May 17th, the people of Burundi voted to pass a referendum extending the length of presidential term limits. 73 percent of voters voted yes to allowing presidents to serve for two seven-year terms instead of five-year terms. Voter turnout was very high, at 96 percent. The referendum will allow […]
Following a wave of violence that has been plaguing the nation of Burundi, this week the people voted to approve the referendum which would allow their current president Pierre Nkurunziza to continue in his position until 2034. The referendum extends the length of the presidential term from five years to […]
On Saturday May 19, a Burundian opposition coalition, the Amizero y’Abarundi bloc, announced to The Associated Press that it would not accept the results of the nation’s recent referendum. Agathon Rwasa, the head of the bloc, labelled the vote a “parody” and “undemocratic.” It has been reported by Al Jazeera […]
Violence plagued the village of Ruhagarika in the rural province of Cibitoke, which serves as a border between Burundi and the DRC. Last Friday, 26 Burundian people were brutally killed, and at least seven were injured. The perpetrators, whose affiliation is unclear, burned and shot people, leaving 24 of the […]
The Burundi government under President Pierre Nkurunziza has launched a campaign to extend presidential term limits from two 5-year terms to two 7-year terms. The proposed constitutional referendum would allow Nkurunziza to serve for 14 more years, despite the terms he has already completed. Violence erupted in the nation after […]
On Sunday April 22nd, Rwandans woke up to the news that four mass graves were discovered containing thousands of victims of the Rwandan genocide. This discovery of these graves forces the country’s 11.92 million citizens to once again address one of the most horrific events on African soil. The Rwandan […]
In recent days, organized violence has gripped some parts of the Anglophone regions in Cameroon as the conflict enters an escalates. The worst hit area is the town of Mamfe in the South West region and neighbouring villages where frequent attacks have been reported from purported Anglophone separatist groups in […]
Burundi has been confirmed as the first country to withdraw from the International Criminal Court. This news comes a year after Burundi as well as The Gambia and South Africa made moves to notify the court that they had intentions to withdraw their membership. The withdrawal of Burundi took effect […]
On Friday, 27th October, the International Criminal Court (ICC) spokesman, Fadi el Abdallah, confirmed that the small Eastern African nation of Burundi has pulled out from the court. This comes a year after the country informed the United Nations about their intention to withdraw. Current case against Burundi According to […]
