Evidently, the crisis in Burundi
is looming. It obviously poses a new threat on peace and security in Africa.
Allow me to start by asking a rather provocative question. Will the world stay
and watch Burundi fall into a new civil war or succumb into the Rwandan-type
Genocide? I don’t know what your response may be to this position but the
irreversible fact remains that the crises in Burundi is giving Africa a massive
step backward against commensurate achievements in human security advancement
over a few years.
Today,
more than 25 people have been killed and dozens wounded since the protest began
late April in the capital Bujumbura. Reports indicate that police use live
ammunition and grenade explosives to kill and maim protesters, a Red Cross
source reports. The United Nations has warned that 400,000 people could be
affected in a worst-case scenario should the elections hold amidst present
popular resistance. Over 50,000 people have fled into neighbouring Rwanda
seeking refuge. The mass influx of refugees into Rwanda could result into huge
humanitarian crises, a blame which Nkurunziza must be held responsible.
It
is noteworthy that Nkurunziza’s third-term quest not only violates the
constitutional two terms limit for president in office, it erodes tenets of the
peace accords that ended a 13-year bloody civil war between Tutsis and Hutus in
2006. This gesture alone is capable of rekindling old animosities that could re-launch
Burundi into a political war and possible ethnic conflagration between the
Tutsis and Hutus in Burundi. If the later becomes the case, there is likely not
only going to be retaliating responses from Tutsis and Hutus in Rwanda, they
could be a resultant escalation of a large scale regional ethnic war which is a
call for concern. The fears are such could create new susceptibilities upon
which genocide, war crimes and mass atrocity crimes and other crimes against
humanity will be committed.
Quite remarkably, neighbouring
Rwanda, where a Tutsi-led government has been in power since the 1994 genocide,
in which 800,000 mainly Tutsis were slaughtered by extremist Hutu killers, has
signalled its concern. "If your
citizens tell you we don't want you to lead us, how do you say 'I am staying
whether you want me or not'?" Rwandan President Paul Kagame said last
week.
President Nkurunziza’s past terms in office
proved to be a setback for democracy, with his authoritarian government
characterised by targeted repression, the restriction of political freedoms,
political intolerance and increased corruption, states the International Crises
Group. Nkurinziza and his cronies have utterly disrespected all national and
regional conventions meant to rebuild peace, reduce mutual suspicion and
establish an inclusive government in Burundi. Even more serious, the conduct of
his government raised questions about its commitment to the power-sharing deal
agreed upon at the Arusha accord between the Hutu and Tutsi elites that ended a
long civil war in the year 2000. That agreement has been gradually deconstructed:
abortive attempt to change the constitution, the decision to ignore the idea of
the special tribunal as part of the transitional justice process, creation of a
fictitious opposition, manipulation of institutions, change to land policy,
etc. By trying to monopolise institutions, the government lost its legitimacy
in the eyes of Burundians, and by failing to respect the Arusha agreement,
which was the result of the hard combined efforts by Tanzania, South Africa,
the EU, the AU and others, it lost its legitimacy in the eyes of the
international community, the ICG observed.
US
secretary of state John Kerry said on Monday he was “deeply concerned” about
Nkurunziza’s bid to remain in power, which he said “flies directly in the face
of the constitution” The head of the UN’s refugee agency, Antonio Guterres,
said he was “extremely worried” by the situation. “We thought Burundian
refugees were something we would never have to discuss again, unfortunately we
are back to having a significant outflow of Burundians,” he said, adding: “It
must stop. We have enough crises in the world.”
Today
I add my voice to those who say “IT MUST STOP”. I hope you will add yours so we
can avert the huge human security cost the emerging crisis in Burundi will cause.
The fallouts are new waves of humanitarian crises, gross human rights abuses,
untold sufferings and innocent deaths and displacements. If not for chance you
will have been that victim and that victim you. The sufferings are preventable.
We prevented them in Burkina Faso by forcing Blaise Compaore out of office, we
did same in Tunisia by having Ben Ali abdicate and we can do it in Burundi by
stopping Pierre Nkurunziza from abusing power by seeking an illegal third term.
If we do so, we will have saved the lives of millions of Burundians who are at
risk. We would avoid bloodshed like the one in South Sudan and the one that
killed 800,000 people in Rwanda. Now is the time. This is the task that should
keep world citizens rising up early in the morning and sleeping late into the
night thinking of IMPROVING the state of BURUNDI. “NKURUNZIZA MUST STOP” Thank
you
Tabi H. Joda @tabijoda
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