The violence that has rocked Burundi since Sunday as opposition
activists protest at the ruling party’s declaration that President
Pierre Nkurunziza will run for a third term is worrying.
Unless
checked, the protests may escalate into full-blown civil strife and
throw Burundi back to the path of self-destruction. Even before the
violence broke out, there were reports that more than 11,000 Burundians
had fled to neighbouring Rwanda.
Burundi, like Rwanda,
has a long history of political violence, which reached monstrous
proportions in 1994 when thousands of people were killed. The two
countries have since become stable and have embarked on the path towards
economic growth and political maturity.
However, the
violence that has erupted in Burundi illustrates that the peace that has
prevailed is only skin-deep and that it can take just a small trigger
to set the country on fire.
FEEL BETRAYED
The
people feel betrayed and that their constitution is being bastardised.
The constitution decrees that a president only serve for two terms, a
provision in all modern states to guard against longevity and the
strongman syndrome that has been the bane of Africa’s leadership.
In seeking a third term, President Nkurunziza is opening a Pandora’s box.
He
is creating an environment for chaos as citizens resort to militancy to
create the change that they cannot achieve through the law.
Burundi’s
neighbours, who are fellow members of the East African Community,
should intervene to forestall mayhem in that nation and in the region.
If
need be, the international community should also come in. Pressure must
be brought to bear on President Nkurunziza to respect the law and save
his country from the path of immolation. The era of tin gods is long
gone; the wishes of the people must be respected.
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