Politics

Mass grave dating from 1972 discovered in Mwaro province
01-12-2017
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People, who were preparing the ground to build a new school in Gasenyi locality in Rusaka commune of Mwaro central Province, have discovered a mass grave which contains bones and skulls of people. Some of the residents found in that locality on Wednesday 11 January 2017 say the mass (...)

Anti-Nkurunziza Third Term Civil Society accuses Mkapa of excluding them from dialogue
01-12-2017
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The campaign “Halt to the third term of Pierre Nkurunziza” says Mkapa excludes anti-third term of Pierre Nkurunziza civil society members from peace talks. Vital Nshimirimana, Campaign leader, says that while the mediator in the Burundian conflict is planning a briefing session for externally-based opponents to Burundi regime and (...)

Dissension within opposition platform over inter-Burundian dialogue facilitation
01-11-2017
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Top leaders of Frodebu political party, member of the Burundi main political opposition platform, say they still recognize Mkapa as the inter-Burundian dialogue Facilitator, while the platform rejects him arguing he is biased. Frodebu party, member of the main Burundi opposition platform CNARED that is based in Belgium, says (...)

Two people accused of witchcraft killed in western Burundi
01-11-2017
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Felix Ntukamazina and Onesphore Marondereye were killed in the evening of 8 January in Mageyo area, Butahana district, Mabayi Municipality in Cibitoke north-western province. Local sources reported that the perpetrators of the double crime were armed with clubs and machetes. Masabarakiza Pascal, Administrator of Mabayi Commune admits that that (...)

Burundian Environment Minister Buried at Mpanda cemetery
01-10-2017
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Emmanuel Niyonkuru, Minister of Water, Environment and Urban Territory, 54, has been buried at Mpanda Cemetery in Bubanza Province, on 10 January. He was shot dead on the New Year’s Eve on his way home. Burial ceremonies of the Minister of Environment have taken place in the capital Bujumbura. (...)

Security disrupted in some areas of Burundi
01-09-2017
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Heavy gunshots have been heard in Kanyosha neighborhood of Muha Commune in the capital Bujumbura. “It was around 10 p.m. when we heard gunshots in Kanyosha area”, said one resident of the neighborhood. Moise Nkurunziza, Deputy Spokesperson for the Burundian Police says the shootings came from the police station. (...)

Confusion about Assassination of Environment Minister
01-09-2017
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Who and why? Grey areas remain over the assassination of Emmanuel Niyonkuru, Minister of Environment, on New Year’s Eve. Iwacu goes back to his last hours and provides an update on the investigation. Written by Fabrice Manirakiza, Agnès Ndirubusa and Hervé Mugisha. Translated by Pierre Emmanuel Ngendakumana While 2017 (...)

Senate calls on religious leaders to support peacebuilding efforts
01-07-2017
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“Government and religious leaders lead the same people. Some are Christians and others Muslims. Some are even in the insurrectional movement”, said Révérien Ndikuriyo, the Senate speaker, in a meeting with religious leaders in Burundi on 5 January. Relations between the church and the state have been strained since (...)

Police seize $12,500 of illegal goods including stolen food aid
01-07-2017
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The police seized a large quantity of counterfeit, illegal or smuggled products in Burundi, a new report has revealed. The December seizure was the result of cooperation between police forces in East Africa designed to tackle transnational crime. In a press release published Friday 6 January, the Director General (...)

Burundi opposition denounces Mkapa and calls for inclusion of UN and AU in mediation
01-06-2017
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Burundi’s opposition platform, CNARED, has said again that former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, facilitator of crisis talks in Burundi, is not fit for the job. It calls on the East African Community (EAC) to include experts from both the UN and the AU in talks to end the Burundi (...)