Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Burundians on Thursday will vote in a referendum on sweeping constitutional reforms that would shore up the power of President Pierre Nkurunziza and enable him to rule until 2034. With opponents cowed, beaten, killed or living in exile, there seems little doubt the amendments will …
Read More »Burundi to suspend BBC and VOA radio broadcasts
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Burundi’s press regulator on Friday said it was suspending broadcasts by the BBC and Voice of America (VOA) by local radio stations ahead of a constitutional referendum on May 17. The head of Burundi’s National Communications Council told journalists in the capital Bujumbura that a …
Read More »Church opposes Burundi constitutional referendum
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Burundi’s influential Catholic bishops said Thursday that they were opposed to fundamental constitutional changes to be voted on in a referendum this month. If passed, the proposed changes could see President Pierre Nkurunziza remain in charge for another 16 years. A statement, signed by 10 …
Read More »Sexual violence and rebel armies
Study shows why rebels in Burundi and Uganda trained their fighters to scorn sexual coercion Kampala, Uganda | ANGELA MUVUMBA SELLSTROM | War zones and conflict sites are incredibly dangerous for anyone living in them, but women are often particularly vulnerable in these spaces. Consider how, in recent years, Boko Haram …
Read More »Burundi kicks off campaign for controversial referendum
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Burundi on Tuesday launched the official campaign for a referendum on constitutional change that could enable President Pierre Nkurunziza to stay in power for another 16 years. Twenty-six parties, most of them aligned with the ruling CNDD-FDD party, have been authorised to campaign for the …
Read More »Cabinet reshuffle ahead of Burundi referendum
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza reshuffled his cabinet Thursday, replacing the foreign minister but keeping officials in charge of next month’s constitutional referendum that could see him stay in power until 2034. High-profile foreign minister Alain-Aime Nyamitwe, the brother of press chief Willy Nyamitwe, was removed …
Read More »Burundi MPs approve police searches without warrants
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The lower house of Burundi’s parliament has voted to allow security forces in the politically tense nation to conduct night raids without a search warrant. The draft law changing the criminal code was passed late Wednesday in the lower house, with 90 votes in …
Read More »Burundi sets May 17 for vote on contested reforms
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza has set May 17 as the date for a referendum on a controversial constitutional reform that could keep him in power until 2034, according to a decree signed Sunday. Critics accuse Nkurunziza of trying to stay in power for life and …
Read More »Burundi frees political detainees after pardon
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Burundi on Friday freed 740 prisoners, most of whom had been imprisoned after taking part in protests against President Pierre Nkurunziza in 2015, the government announced. The detainees were released from Bujumbura’s Mpimba prison — the country’s largest — after a ceremony presided over by …
Read More »Burundi leader dubbed ‘eternal supreme guide’ by party
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Burundi’s ruling party has bestowed the title of “eternal supreme guide” on President Pierre Nkurunziza, a party official confirmed Sunday, as critics claimed he wants to lock in power for life. “He is our elder, our father, our adviser,” CNDD-FDD secretary general Evariste Ndayishimiye said in …
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