Latest news with #ÉvaristeNdayishimiye
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Burundi's ruling party seeks to tighten grip on power
Voters in Burundi are heading to the polls amid a backdrop of surging inflation, fuel shortages and complaints of political repression. Seats in the National Assembly, Senate and local councils are up for grabs but Évariste Ndayishimiye is safe in his role as president as he is serving a seven-year term that ends in 2027. The elections will test the popularity of the governing CNDD-FDD party, a former rebel group which has been in power for the past 20 years. The East African nation was already one of the world's poorest countries, but residents there have been put under further pressure by a recent spike in the price of goods such as food. Opposition parties have complained that their supporters have been harassed and intimidated by members of the CNDD-FDD's youth league, the Imbonerakure. Gabriel Banzawitonde, leader of the APDR party, said: ''People are so intimidated that they tell you they cannot wear any party colours other than the ruling ones'. But he said they were not giving in and "once in the voting booth, they promise to vote for you". Several political analysts approached by the BBC declined to talk about the elections for fear of repercussions. One expert, who did not want to be named, said: "To avoid unnecessary trouble, you keep quiet." ''We pointed out from the start that everything was being tailor-made [to fit the ruling party]," they said, suggesting that a CNDD-FDD win was a done deal. Recently, some party officials have even been suggesting that a one-party system may be beneficial for Burundi. Over the weekend, secretary-general Reverien Ndikuriyo told supporters that "to reach development, all countries started by having a single party''. Even though this is not historically accurate, the president has also made similar claims. "Yes, when it becomes single [the only party], we'll reach development,'' Ndikuriyo said. However, he confusingly added: "'Don't let foreigners infiltrate you [and tell you] that the party wants to be single." Chronic shortages of foreign currency, which is needed for imports such as medicine and fuel, have led to a decline in Burundi's economic activity. Analysts say that Burundi now runs on less than one month's-worth of foreign currency reserves for imports, while the regional standard is to have at least four months. Queues of cars stretching from service stations for around 100m (330ft) have become a common sight. They often last for days or weeks as motorists wait for fuel, which is being rationed by the authorities. According to the World Bank, the annual domestic income of an average Burundian in 2023 was $193 (£142), the lowest within the East African Community trade bloc. Faustin Ndikumana, an economist and anti-corruption activist, believes Burundi's situation will not improve any time soon. ''Good governance has to be established. We're not there yet,'' he told the BBC. But the governing party and its leader hold an opposing view. President Ndayishimiye has said residents of Bujumbura, Burundi's largest city, "looked bad in 2005" but now "had money to buy shoes, new clothes and to build a house''. And the CNDD-FDD often responds to criticism by reminding Burundians that the party fought for the Hutu ethnic group - who make up the majority of the population - to access power, after four decades of what they considered as oppression by the minority Tutsis. Rwanda planning to attack Burundi, president tells BBC 'Mpox made my throat so painful I couldn't sleep' Burundi leader to get $530,000 and luxury villa Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
Euronews
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Burundi president claims Rwanda plans to incite war in his country
ADVERTISEMENT The president of Burundi has claimed that neighbouring Rwanda is planning to foment a conflict in his country, warning that it is backing a rebel group in an effort to destabilise its neighbour, citing "credible intelligence". In an interview with the BBC, President Évariste Ndayishimiye claimed that Rwanda's plan resembled what is happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where a long-established paramilitary rebel group, M23, has swept through key parts of the country in an effort to seize control. The group is widely thought to be supported by Rwanda, which denies taking any direct role in the conflict. In his interview, Ndayishimiye claimed that the Rwandan government intended to first trigger instability and then claim it had started without external involvement. "They would say it's an internal problem when it's Rwanda (who is) the problem," he said of the government led by his counterpart, President Paul Kagame. "We know that he has a plan to attack Burundi. Burundians will not accept to be killed as Congolese are being killed. Burundian people are fighters." Ndayishimiye also accused Rwanda of fomenting a failed coup in Burundi in 2015, but said he had no intention of going to war. "We don't have any plans to attack Rwanda," he said. "We want to resolve that problem by dialogue. "We are calling on our neighbours to respect the peace agreements we have made. There is no need for us to go to war. We want dialogue, but we will not sit idle if we are attacked. We don't have anything to ask (of) Rwanda, but they refuse because they have a bad plan — they wanted to do what they're doing in the DRC." Ndayishimiye has not provided any evidence for his claims. Rwanda has rejected Ndayishimiye's words as "surprising" and said there was no plan to spark conflict in Burundi. The government in Kigali has also denied links to rebel groups in Burundi and insists the two countries are cooperating to secure their border. A crisis deepens Meanwhile, Burundi is seeing its largest influx of refugees in decades as tens of thousands of people flee the fighting in the eastern area of DRC. According to the UN World Food Program (WFP), as Congolese government troops fight Rwanda-backed rebels who now hold two major cities, the number of registered refugees who need food assistance has doubled since January and now stands at 120,000. The decades-long conflict in eastern DRC escalated in January when the M23 rebel group seized the strategic city of Goma. The following month the group took the city of Bukavu, which lies less than 30 miles from the Burundi border. The presidents of DRC and Rwanda met last week in Qatar for their first direct talks since the cities were seized. M23 is one of about 100 armed groups vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich region. The conflict has created one of the world's largest and longest-running humanitarian crises, displacing more than 7 million people displaced over the years. ADVERTISEMENT Many of those displaced to neighbouring countries including Burundi have escaped lethal violence only to face serious food insecurity. WFP warned yesterday that its funds for operations in Burundi are 'stretched to the limit' and likely will be exhausted in June. It said it might have to "suspend food assistance entirely' from July or earlier.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rwanda planning to attack Burundi, president tells BBC
Burundi's President Évariste Ndayishimiye tells the BBC he has seen "credible intelligence" that Rwanda plans to attack his country, and that Rwanda had tried to launch a coup a decade ago in Burundi akin to "what it's doing in the Democratic Republic of Congo" now. Rwanda has already hit back, calling the president's comments "surprising" and insisting the two neighbours are cooperating on security plans for their shared border, which has been shut for over a year. Despite extensive UN evidence, Rwanda has always denied arming and backing the M23 rebel group, which has recently seized large parts of eastern DR Congo alongside Rwandan troops. Rwanda has also denied links to the resurgent Red Tabara rebel group, which President Ndayishimiye says is a proxy force similar to the M23 and is being supported by Rwanda to destabilise Burundi. "They would say it's an internal problem when it's Rwanda [who is] the problem. We know that he [Rwanda's President Paul Kagame] has a plan to attack Burundi," Ndayishimiye added. "Burundians will not accept to be killed as Congolese are being killed. Burundian people are fighters." "But now we don't have any plans to attack Rwanda. We want to resolve that problem by dialogue." At the heart of Ndayishimiye's comments was a call for peace and the full implementation of an agreement between the two nations - a peace deal that had been signed in previous years but, according to Burundi, had not been honoured by Rwanda. "The people who did the 2015 coup [were] organised by Rwanda, and then they ran away. Rwanda organised them – it went to recruit the youth in Mahama camp. It trained them, it gave them arms, it financed them. They are living in the hand of Rwanda," he alleges. "If Rwanda accepts to hand over them and bring them to justice, the problem would be finished." Who's pulling the strings in the DR Congo crisis? Your phone, a rare metal and the war in DR Congo What's the fighting in DR Congo all about? "We are calling on our neighbours to respect the peace agreements we have made," Ndayishimiye added. "There is no need for us to go to war. We want dialogue, but we will not sit idle if we are attacked." "We don't have anything to ask [of] Rwanda [in return], but they refuse because they have a bad plan - they wanted to do what they're doing in the DRC." The Rwanda-Burundi border remains closed long after Red Tabara rebels carried out several attacks on Burundian soil. While the situation with Rwanda is critical, it is not Burundi's only problem. To the west, the ongoing conflict in mineral-rich DR Congo has reached a boiling point with rebel groups, militias, and foreign parties vying to control the country's valuable resources. "External forces are responsible for perpetuating this conflict. They do not want peace in the DRC because they want to continue looting its resources," Ndayishimiye tells the BBC. "The crisis in the DRC is not about the people - it is about the minerals." The solution, he argues, is to bring all parties to the table, including "all opposition political parties and armed groups", who must "sit together and see together how they can create the best future for all citizens." But in his view it all depends on whether Rwanda will show willing. "The problem between Rwanda and the DRC is a small problem, they can resolve it without killing people. For example, I hear that Rwanda says it is going there [to DRC] because of the FDLR [a Rwandan rebel group accused of links to the 1994 genocide]. "But who [is being] killed? All I see is Congolese - why do they kill Congolese when they say they are looking for FDLR?" Since M23 rebels and Rwandan troops began seizing cities in eastern DR Congo in January, war has forced many hundreds of thousands of Congolese people to flee the violence and their homes. So desperate are they to find safety that some have even crossed the Rusizi river in makeshift vessels or swum to reach Burundi, despite the dangerous journey killing many people including a three-year-old child. Living precariously in refugee camps, some say they want to go back to their country but complain that the Burundi-DR Congo border is closed. This is something Burundi's president denies. "No, our border with the Congo is not closed. Where did they pass to come into Burundi? Even today they can use [the Rusizi river] to go back." When told by the BBC that crossing the Rusizi rivers puts refugees in a position of danger, Ndayishimiye replies: "You know, we didn't invite them. "They can go back, we will not refuse them to go back. But when they are here, they are as our visitors. If a visitor comes your house – it's you who chooses the room where he will stay. Even the food they have is what we share. They can't say I will eat meat when you are eating fish." For the war to end and the Congolese to achieve lasting piece, Ndayishimiye says the mandate of international forces in DR Congo should be expanded so that they can engage the rebels. He has also stated that Burundi forces will not be withdrawn from DR Congo until Burundi is assured that its borders are safe. Earlier this month, Southern Africa leaders announced that their forces would be withdrawn from DR Congo where they were helping fight the M23, after at least 19 were killed. 'I risked drowning to escape being recruited by Congolese rebels' Is Trump mulling a minerals deal with conflict-hit DR Congo? 'They killed all these young people' - BBC investigates alleged massacre in rebel-held Congolese city Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
BBC News
25-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Rwanda planning to attack Burundi, President Évariste Ndayishimiye tells BBC
Burundi's President Évariste Ndayishimiye tells the BBC he has seen "credible intelligence" that Rwanda plans to attack his country, and that Rwanda had tried to launch a coup a decade ago in Burundi akin to "what it's doing in the Democratic Republic of Congo" has already hit back, calling the president's comments "surprising" and insisting the two neighbours are cooperating on security plans for their shared border, which has been shut for over a extensive UN evidence, Rwanda has always denied arming and backing the M23 rebel group, which has recently seized large parts of eastern DR Congo alongside Rwandan troops. Rwanda has also denied links to the resurgent Red Tabara rebel group, which President Ndayishimiye says is a proxy force similar to the M23 and is being supported by Rwanda to destabilise Burundi."They would say it's an internal problem when it's Rwanda [who is] the problem. We know that he [Rwanda's President Paul Kagame] has a plan to attack Burundi," Ndayishimiye added. "Burundians will not accept to be killed as Congolese are being killed. Burundian people are fighters.""But now we don't have any plans to attack Rwanda. We want to resolve that problem by dialogue."At the heart of Ndayishimiye's comments was a call for peace and the full implementation of an agreement between the two nations - a peace deal that had been signed in previous years but, according to Burundi, had not been honoured by Rwanda."The people who did the 2015 coup [were] organised by Rwanda, and then they ran away. Rwanda organised them – it went to recruit the youth in Mahama camp. It trained them, it gave them arms, it financed them. They are living in the hand of Rwanda," he alleges."If Rwanda accepts to hand over them and bring them to justice, the problem would be finished." "We are calling on our neighbours to respect the peace agreements we have made," Ndayishimiye added. "There is no need for us to go to war. We want dialogue, but we will not sit idle if we are attacked.""We don't have anything to ask [of] Rwanda [in return], but they refuse because they have a bad plan - they wanted to do what they're doing in the DRC."The Rwanda-Burundi border remains closed long after Red Tabara rebels carried out several attacks on Burundian the situation with Rwanda is critical, it is not Burundi's only the west, the ongoing conflict in mineral-rich DR Congo has reached a boiling point with rebel groups, militias, and foreign parties vying to control the country's valuable resources."External forces are responsible for perpetuating this conflict. They do not want peace in the DRC because they want to continue looting its resources," Ndayishimiye tells the BBC."The crisis in the DRC is not about the people - it is about the minerals."The solution, he argues, is to bring all parties to the table, including "all opposition political parties and armed groups", who must "sit together and see together how they can create the best future for all citizens."But in his view it all depends on whether Rwanda will show willing."The problem between Rwanda and the DRC is a small problem, they can resolve it without killing people. For example, I hear that Rwanda says it is going there [to DRC] because of the FDLR [a Rwandan rebel group accused of links to the 1994 genocide]. "But who [is being] killed? All I see is Congolese - why do they kill Congolese when they say they are looking for FDLR?"Since M23 rebels and Rwandan troops began seizing cities in eastern DR Congo in January, war has forced many hundreds of thousands of Congolese people to flee the violence and their desperate are they to find safety that some have even crossed the Rusizi river in makeshift vessels or swum to reach Burundi, despite the dangerous journey killing many people including a three-year-old child. Living precariously in refugee camps, some say they want to go back to their country but complain that the Burundi-DR Congo border is closed. This is something Burundi's president denies."No, our border with the Congo is not closed. Where did they pass to come into Burundi? Even today they can use [the Rusizi river] to go back."When told by the BBC that crossing the Rusizi rivers puts refugees in a position of danger, Ndayishimiye replies: "You know, we didn't invite them."They can go back, we will not refuse them to go back. But when they are here, they are as our visitors. If a visitor comes your house – it's you who chooses the room where he will stay. Even the food they have is what we share. They can't say I will eat meat when you are eating fish."For the war to end and the Congolese to achieve lasting piece, Ndayishimiye says the mandate of international forces in DR Congo should be expanded so that they can engage the rebels. He has also stated that Burundi forces will not be withdrawn from DR Congo until Burundi is assured that its borders are this month, Southern Africa leaders announced that their forces would be withdrawn from DR Congo where they were helping fight the M23, after at least 19 were killed. More about the conflict in DR Congo: 'I risked drowning to escape being recruited by Congolese rebels'Is Trump mulling a minerals deal with conflict-hit DR Congo?'They killed all these young people' - BBC investigates alleged massacre in rebel-held Congolese city Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
