🇧🇮Burundi Election: Will the Violence Ever End?
Hello! Welcome to an election special edition of Inside The Newsroom, where today we’ll decipher what went down in Burundi this week, and explore the country’s bloody history that includes multiple civil wars and allegations of election fraud. As we’ll learn, it doesn’t appear that the African nation is anywhere near moving on from its past, and looks set to remain one of the world’s poorest countries. Below are the most important highlights from Wednesday’s election, including my picks of the week. Enjoy 🤓 🇧🇮
Job Corner
I added a ton of UK-based jobs this week, with new roles at the likes of the BBC, The Athletic and The Independent. Spread the word far and wide!
Picks of the Week
Joe Rogan — The world’s most popular podcaster signed a $100 million deal with Spotify, who secured exclusive licensing rights for The Joe Rogen Experience
Twitter Labels — Twitter announced it’ll add labels and warning messages on some tweets with disputed or misleading information about COVID-19
Hong Kong — China is set to pass new laws restricting freedom and democracy in Hong Kong, throwing the region’s future into further chaos
2020 Elections So Far
April: South Korea 🇰🇷
March: Israel, Slovakia and Tajikistan 🇮🇱🇸🇰🇹🇯
February: Cameroon, Ireland and Azerbaijan 🇨🇲🇮🇪🇦🇿 + Iran and Togo 🇮🇷🇹🇬
Burundi 👇| Source: Google Maps
Wednesday’s Results
While we don’t yet have full results and might not do so until next week, 12 percent of municipalities have reported and suggest the ruling party is on for re-election. Prior to Wednesday’s election, President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he’d step down after 15 years to become a “supreme guide to patriotism” while receiving a $540,000 (£440,000) retirement pay-out and a luxury villa. Nkurunziza’s hand-picked heir to the throne, Secretary-General Evariste Ndayishimiye, and opposition leader Agathon Rwasa, are among several candidates vying to become the country’s new leader, and whoever does eventually win, will legally need to consult Nkurunziza on national unity and security issues. If I’d known about the perks and faux importance, I’d have thrown my name in the ring myself.
After 2015’s election sparked violence that left 1,200 people dead, the country’s election commission has appealed for patience and calm while the results are counted and due to be announced on Monday or Tuesday. Like with many elections we’ve covered so far this year, Burundi’s election has allegations of fraud attached to it, with Rwasa’s National Council for Liberty party alleging there’s been cases of proxy and multiple voting, and the reallocation of absent voting cards to governing party voters.
Agathon Rwasa (left), Evariste Ndayishimiye (right) 👇 | Credit: Al Jazeera
Voting Amid the Coronavirus
As global COVID-19 cases topped five million this week, Burundi appears to have just 42 confirmed cases and one death, according to Johns Hopkins. But as we’ve learned in recent months, the validity of some countries’ reporting is questionable, and Burundi’s reliance on “God’s protection” from the virus opens its low tally for skepticism. The decision to press ahead with an election amid the worst pandemic since 1920 is risky, though South Korea proved in April that it’s possible to do so safely and has seen minimal daily cases since. Like with most things, time will tell whether Burundi receives a coronavirus backlash.
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Who is Pierre Nkurunziza?
Elected in 2005, Nkurunziza was the first and only democratically elected president since the start of Burundi’s civil war in 1993, when former president Melchior Ndadaye was assassinated. The conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups lasted 12 years and killed 300,000 people (more on that next). Nkurunziza’s a former Hutu rebel leader who joined the Hutu rebellion in 1995 and rose the ranks to become its head of Forces for Defence of Democracy. His election was meant to build the bridge between the two rivals, but his tenure was marred by allegations of authoritarianism and election fraud. And then there’s the bloody violence in 2015 that stemmed from Nkurunziza winning a court case over his re-election for a third term that exceeded the constitution’s limit of a maximum two terms. Later that year, Nkurunziza also survived a failed coup attempt that saw his airplane blocked from re-entering the country. While Nkurunziza might not be the country’s leader any longer, his impact will continue to be felt for generations to come.
Burundi’s Bloody History and Unstable Future
Similar to the likes of Cameroon, whose history has and will be determined by the toxic relationship between its French-speaking majority and English-speaking minority, and Israel and Palestine, whose conflict derives from thousands of years of bitterness and hatred toward one another, Burundi faces a similar predicament. Around 600 years have passed since Hutu and Tutsi settlers first mixed, and tensions between the two might have never been higher. While violence plagues the country, metrics such as school enrolment rates and child mortality will continue to suffer. And until its political leaders compromise and put an end to their differences, Burundi will continue to be one of the worst countries in the entire world to live in…
Source: World Bank
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