Bubanza : residents forced to go and welcome the peace torch, schools and businesses closed

Businesses, schools, administration, residents… Everyone was forced to go and welcome the peace torch on Tuesday in the district of Bubanza. It is in the province of Bubanza (western Burundi). The caravan that was launched by Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye on November 9, will tour Burundi for 22 days. In its 18th edition, the peace torch hinders all activities in its path. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Life literally stopped in the district of Bubanza on November 12, when the peace torch passed. Participation in its reception was mandatory, learned SOS Médias Burundi. Administration authorities had mobilized the Imbonerakure (members of the youth league of the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party) to ensure that “everyone participated”. It is the inhabitants of the Mitakataka zone who suffered the most.

“All the paths were guarded by the Imbonerakure to prevent farmers from going about their farming activities”, regrets a resident of Mitakataka.

And they complain further : “the people who resisted had their hoes confiscated to force them to go and participate in the reception of the peace torch”.

Even after having taken part by force in the event, inhabitants say that no one could leave the place before the end of the ceremony.

“Let no one leave this place before the departure of the peace torch team, let no one leave”, this is the slogan that was launched by the head of the Imbonerakure in Mitakataka.

Suffering of pupils

The secondary school and technical school of Bubanza have closed their doors, pupils had to walk 16 kilometers to join residents of the Mitakataka zone.

“They were also used in the paving work of a village office and the CNDD-FDD office in the area”, noted an SOS Médias Burundi reporter. These pupils from the provincial town center met all the pupils and schoolchildren in the area on site. “All schools in Mitakataka had closed their doors”.

Closed shops

According to traders, the Mitakataka market and all the shops were forced to close.

“We live from day to day, if we miss a day of work, we don’t eat…”, complained a resident of Mitakataka to whom the Imbonerakure refused access to his crop fields.

Clearly, very few participants were enthusiastic about the call made by the criers “line up, it’s assembly line work”. The curious only watched the flame of the torch glow without going out.

“Why when the peace torch passes through our country, do administration authorities and representatives of the CNDD-FDD put pressure on us?”, wondered a wise man from Mitakataka.

What is close to President Neva’s heart

It is President Évariste Ndayishimiye who launched the 18th edition of the peace torch. He is already planning for 2025, the election year.

“Elections are coming soon. I ask you to vote for leaders who have political programs that can contribute to development,” insisted the Burundian president, convinced that the implementation of Vision 2040-2060 will be possible if the country equips itself with development leaders – according to the office of the Burundian Head of State.

The 2040-2060 vision in the small East African nation that has been facing a fuel crisis for almost 47 months, whose farmers lack fertilizers and seeds, a country whose local currency is experiencing the worst depreciation in its history and where residents struggle to have alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, consists of transforming Burundi into an emerging country in 2040 and developed in 2060.