What does Sanctions by European Union on Bururndi's top Officials means?

Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in the African Great Lakes region of East Africa, bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Burundi is the third poorest country in African according to Infoplease . However, the story of Burundi is something that is not just about an impoverished and a turbulent nation, it is about a hopeful nation. Since 2005, Burundians has been rebuilding their nation after 12 years of civil unrest which lasted from 1993 to 2005. The conflict ended with a peace process that brought in the 2005 constitution providing guaranteed representation for both Hutu and Tutsi, and parliamentary elections that led to Pierre Nkurunziza, from the Hutu FDD, becoming President. As a Burundian/Rwanda dual citizenship, this was a very major step toward a harmonious political cooperation among the two competing tribes. However, the peace accord faced a backslash 10 years later on April 25 2015 when the ruling political party in Burundi, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), announced that the incumbent President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, would run for a third term in the 2015 presidential election. The announcement sparked protests by those opposed to Nkurunziza seeking a third term in office. The government on the other hand, responded with force and brutality rather than negotiating with the protesters. As a result, the European sanctions were imposed to the top officials who were the perpetrators for the protest and those who responded with violence. It is a major deal for Burundi, since the sanctions are forcing the nation to respond by bringing to justice those who perpetrated violent protest and those who responded to peaceful protesters with violence. To sum up, I am still optimistic for the future of Burundi for several reasons:

• Albeit, the violent protesters and the civil unrest this past year, the nation army which is 60% Hutu, and 40% Tutsi did not side on either side which was something unusual from past civil unrest.
• In addition, the army in several instances did protect non violent protesters which was also very unusual from our history.
• The new Parliament and government that Nkurunziza instituted did not violate the 2005 constitution providing guaranteed representation for both Hutu and Tutsi

Attacted below is the Burundian Map

Tim Byukusenge
Article from: Burundi crisis: Nkurunziza aides and coup plotter face EU sanctions