EAC should defuse violence in Burundi

The violence that has rocked Burundi since Sunday as opposition activists protest at the ruling party’s declaration that President Pierre Nkurunziza will run for a third term is worrying.

Unless checked, the protests may escalate into full-blown civil strife and throw Burundi back to the path of self-destruction. Even before the violence broke out, there were reports that more than 11,000 Burundians had fled to neighbouring Rwanda.

Burundi, like Rwanda, has a long history of political violence, which reached monstrous proportions in 1994 when thousands of people were killed. The two countries have since become stable and have embarked on the path towards economic growth and political maturity.

However, the violence that has erupted in Burundi illustrates that the peace that has prevailed is only skin-deep and that it can take just a small trigger to set the country on fire.

FEEL BETRAYED

The people feel betrayed and that their constitution is being bastardised. The constitution decrees that a president only serve for two terms, a provision in all modern states to guard against longevity and the strongman syndrome that has been the bane of Africa’s leadership.

In seeking a third term, President Nkurunziza is opening a Pandora’s box.

He is creating an environment for chaos as citizens resort to militancy to create the change that they cannot achieve through the law.

Burundi’s neighbours, who are fellow members of the East African Community, should intervene to forestall mayhem in that nation and in the region.

If need be, the international community should also come in. Pressure must be brought to bear on President Nkurunziza to respect the law and save his country from the path of immolation. The era of tin gods is long gone; the wishes of the people must be respected.