Frightened Students Camped Out in Front of US Embassy in Burundi
A soldier was killed in Burundi on the morning of May 1st, 2015. Protestors had built a barricade in Bujumbura and the soldier was standing near it, when an intelligence officer open fired in the direction of the barricade. One of the bullets hit the soldier, killing him.
The protestors were there as a sign of resistance after the current President, Pierre Nkurunziza, announced he would be running for a third term in office. The election is to be held on the 26th of June. Those opposed argue that his candidacy is unconstitutional under the deal that ended the civil war in 2006, which states that individuals can hold Presidential office for two, 5-year terms.
In addition to the death of the soldier, six others have been killed as a result of these protests. University students who were protesting over President Nkurunziza’s candidacy are now camped out in front of the U.S. Embassy in Bujumbura. As a result of the protests, the university campus was closed due to threats to its security. With nowhere to go, nearly 500 students headed to the U.S. Embassy stating that it was the only place where they felt safe because they were concerned that security forces were following them.
These protests have been the largest since the civil war between the two ethnic groups, Tutsi and Hutu, which ended in 2005. The recent violence has caused some citizens to fear that another clash between the two groups will begin. President Nkurunziza is a former rebel leader and member of the CNDD-FDD political party, which is Hutu. The Hutu and Tutsi conflicts of the past are resurfacing once again as tensions rise over the Presidents attempt at re-election.
In April 2015 alone, over 21,000 civilians have fled to Rwanda, and 4,000 more to the DRC. Despite being more challenging to access, most of the civilians fleeing to Rwanda are doing so because Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, is Tutsi. The Tutsi Burundians who are escaping to Rwanda hope to find safety and refuge there.
So far, the Rwandan government and the U.N. refugee agency has been accepting people as they cross into Rwanda. Several refugee camps were set up along the border, and as of last week, they have begun relocating refugees from border camps, to another one set up in Mahama, East of Rwanda’s capital.
The U.S. is one of the main countries providing financial aid the Tutsi government in Rwanda. A U.S. official has recently urged President Nkurunziza not to run for reelection, in the hopes to avoid will more violence. So far Rwanda/Burundi government relations have not been severely affected by the conflicts in Burundi, but the situation must be closely monitored.
