Africa

Burundian Pierre Nkurunziza and Rwandan Paul Kagame in "soccer buddies" days

The small and impoverished country of Burundi, located in the heart of African Great Lakes Region, is slowly and steadily sliding into the chaos and human tragedy, with unpredictable consequences. unknown/abyss but Rwanda, another small impoverished country to the North may  not be far behind.

Recent news coming from the landlocked country of Burundi have been alarming to say the least. Few days ago there were media reports of insurgents coordinated attacks against three main military compounds in the Capital City of Bujumbura. Score of assailants were killed. Based on  official accounts, 87 people, including 9 from the Burundian security forces  were killed in the attacks. However, several sources in Bujumbura affirm that hundreds of people, including insurgents, civilians and government soldiers were killed, just in one day.  A few days  earlier,

Protests in Burundi against Pierre Nkurunziza seeking third term

“We know that there are people who tell those lies in order to obtain special protection. I wanted to tell you that although these international NGOs operate in confidentiality we have the means to know everything you tell them. For public interest reasons we will convoke those people and ask them about their false statements. That’s why I ask all those who have lied to go back to those NGOs and change their statements, ” Rwandan Disaster Minister Seraphine Mukantabana  said on October 23, 2015, in a speech delivered to Burundian Refugees in camps inside Rwanda. She was threatening refugees after reports that Rwandan Security services were recruiting  Burundian refugees, including children,  funding, arming and training them with the purpose of launching military attacks back inside Burundi.  It is two of such attacks that led, over the week-end,  to 87 deaths, including 8 members of the Burundian security forces,  in the Capital Bujumbura, according to Burundian military spokesperson.

Bernard Makuza, General Paul Kagame's Cousin and Rwandan Senate President

As expected, the Rwandan dictator Paul Kagame is ignoring the warnings from the United States Government and others democracies against changing the Rwandan constitution to allow himself to cling to power (see our article here).  Rwanda's Senate, mostly composed of Paul Kagame's cronies or stooges,  on Tuesday November 17, 2015 unanimously approved a draft constitution to allow President Paul Kagame to seek a third term