Gabbi Gruver- Burundi’s president is now “Supreme Eternal Guide”. Retirement is out

Burundi’s president is now “Supreme Eternal Guide”. Retirement is out

Violence broke out in Burundi ahead of a referendum on May 17, which aimed to change the constitution to allow for President Pierre Nkurunziza to run again for office in 2020. Nkurunziza, a former rebel, has been president since the end of the civil war in 2005. Many in the country expect the amendment to pass whether they vote or not. He called him “Supreme Eternal Guide” of the country. More importantly, the referendum highlights the decrease of term limits across central Africa. In the past decade, 6 countries have ignored or revoked laws that limit presidents’ terms. In addition, it also represents the death of the Arusha accords that helped end the civil war. In 2015, his party, the CNDD, the group that descended from the Hutu rebel group, argues that his first term did not count because he was appointed and not elected. The same year his government was briefly overthrown in a coup. Since then the country has seen thousands arrested for showing opposition to the regime, half a million people fleeing to other countries, and at least 456 assassinated in 2017 alone. Almost all journalism and foreign publicans has been completely banned within the country. The constitutional amendment also allows for Nkurunziza to give more power to the Hutus within the government and military. The UN estimates that three-fifths of the country is chronically malnourished because the GDP has fallen drastically. Within a lack of resources and stable democracy in the region, there is minimal hope that other countries will step in to help the situation within Burundi.

https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2018/05/19/burundis-president-is-now-supreme-eternal-guide.-retirement-is-out

Gabbi Gruver