Rutana : Ndayishimiye violently attacks Pacifique Nininahazwe and promises to defend the CNDD-FDD power “to the end”

SOS Médias Burundi

Rutana, October 16, 2025 – During the inauguration ceremony of the new district administrator of Rutana, in Burunga province in southern Burundi, President Évariste Ndayishimiye delivered a speech that blended religious fervor, triumphalism, and personal attacks. On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, the president made direct accusations against his critics, particularly the well-known exiled activist Pacifique Nininahazwe, known for his investigations into enforced disappearances and head of FOCODE (Forum for Conscience and Development), an organization that documents serious human rights violations in Burundi.

Before a packed crowd, the head of state promised to “jealously safeguard” the CNDD-FDD’s power, which he presented as a divine blessing.

Before attacking his detractors, Évariste Ndayishimiye first thanked God for, according to him, having “revealed the true Burundians” when the CNDD-FDD came to power in 2005.

“God allowed Burundi to have true Burundians starting in 2005,” declared the head of state, before adding : “Since then, God has given us vision, and that is why the country is developing.”

Évariste Ndayishimiye, who leads the world’s poorest country according to the World Bank, has been making self-congratulatory speeches for several years. In June 2024, during the commemoration of the fourth anniversary of the death of his predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza, he had already stated that “Burundi has never been so blessed.”

Yet, since the former Hutu rebel group CNDD-FDD came to power in 2005, opponents and civil society organizations have been drawing a damning conclusion : the country is experiencing the worst economic crisis in its history, marked by unprecedented human rights violations and institutionalized impunity. The fuel shortage, the most severe ever recorded, has lasted for nearly five years, paralyzing the entire national life.

In his speech, the President offered numerous anecdotes and symbols :

“I’m thinking of Magy from Rubaho, in Musongati district, who didn’t even wear shoes back then. Today, he lives in a house with no design! And Adrien Ntigacika, nicknamed Ziranotse, the head of FOMI (Organo-Mineral Fertilizers), rode a bicycle, but look at him today!”

Then, citing his own physical transformation as a sign of prosperity, he continued :

“There was a time when no clothes would fit me; my suit didn’t fit my body. Today, I can even wear a simple T-shirt, and it fits perfectly!”

But the president’s tone quickly turned offensive toward his detractors, whom he compared to “rebel Israelis” facing Moïse :

“You know these others. They are intruders, profiteers of the crisis, who ate while we suffered from kwashiorkor.”

Quoting Pacifique Nininahazwe directly, the president redoubled his irony and virulence :

“Look at Pacifique Nininahazwe! During the crisis, he ate his fill while we were starving. Today, he comes to tell you : ‘You are unhappy, rebel!’ But why didn’t he say it when he was full?”

Ndayishimiye concluded in a defiant tone :

“They were satisfied when the country was burning. Now that it’s our turn to live better, they want to take us back. Let them know that this period must be jealously guarded, because we will never return to that point.”

These remarks, greeted by cheers from activists of the ruling party, caused unease among some of the audience. The new district administrator of Rutana also made highly partisan remarks :

“The Gihofi region was until now the stronghold of the opposition. They made the wrong choice by voting against us,” he declared.

The ceremony thus transformed into a political platform, illustrating the hardening of the presidential stance in an increasingly volatile economic and social climate.

In recent weeks, President Évariste Ndayishimiye has made numerous field visits to personally install the new district administrators. This choice, which has not failed to divide the ruling party, aims to silence internal opponents and strengthen its power thanks to the new administrative divisions that came into force with this year’s legislative elections, which limit the provinces to 5 instead of 18 and the districts to 42 instead of 119.