Pierre Nkurunziza
Encyclopedia
Pierre Nkurunziza is a Burundi
an politician who has been President of Burundi since 2005. He is the Chairman of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy
(CNDD-FDD), the ruling party in Burundi, and also the current Chairman of the East African Community
.
. He attended primary school in Ngozi
province and secondary school in Kitega before graduating from the University of Burundi in 1990. At the university, he majored in education
and sports.
His father, Eustache Ngabisha, was elected
to the Parliament of Burundi
in 1965 and later became governor
of two provinces before being killed in 1972 during a period of ethnic violence that claimed the lives of over 100,000 Burundians.
Nkurunziza was a lecturer at Burundi University when civil war
broke out in the country following the assassination of Burundi's first ethnic Hutu president, Melchior Ndadaye
, in 1993.
He joined the CNDD-FDD in 1995 as a soldier after the army attacked the university campus. In a 2004 interview with the IRIN humanitarian news agency, he recalls the events that occurred:
"In 1995, the Tutsi army attacked the campus and killed 200 students. They tried to kill me too. The attackers shot at my car but I got out and ran away. They torched my car. I then joined the CNDD-FDD as a soldier. This war was forced on us; we did not start it."
After rising through the ranks, Nkurunziza was appointed deputy secretary-general of the CNDD-FDD in 1998. In 2001, he was elected chairman. There was a split in the group in late 2001. He was re-elected to the post of chairman in August 2004.
Beginning in late 2003 and after the cease fire agreement, he was appointed Minister for Good Governance in the transitional government of President Domitien Ndayizeye
.
On 11 September 2008, journalist Jean-Claude Kavumbagu
alleged that the cost of President Nkurunziza’s trip to see the Beijing Olympics
(an estimated 100 million Burundian franc
s) caused some civil servants’ salaries to be paid late. The government responded that the trip had only cost half of the alleged amount, and Kavumbagu was charged with "libelous writing and insulting remarks." Amnesty International
, the Committee to Protect Journalists
, and PEN America
protested his arrest and called for his immediate release. Kavumbagu was cleared by a court in March 2009 and released from prison. However, the prosecutor appealed the case, and as of July 2010, it remains open.
Following a series of CNDD-FDD victories in elections
held during June and July 2005, Nkurunziza was nominated as the party's presidential candidate. He was elected president unopposed by members of parliament
(acting as an electoral college
) on 19 August 2005 and took office on 26 August 2005. He was re-elected in 2010
with more than 91% of the votes amidst an opposition boycott and sworn in for his second term on 26 August 2010.
A self-described born again Christian
and a big fan of sports, Pierre Nkurunziza married his wife in 1994 and is the father of five children. In 2009, Nkurunziza signed a law criminalizing consensual homosexuality, despite the Senate's overwhelming rejection of the bill.
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
an politician who has been President of Burundi since 2005. He is the Chairman of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy
National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy
The National Council for the Defense of Democracy–Forces for the Defense of Democracy was the most significant rebel group active in the Burundi Civil War and became a major political party in Burundi...
(CNDD-FDD), the ruling party in Burundi, and also the current Chairman of the East African Community
East African Community
The East African Community is an intergovernmental organisation comprising the five east African countries Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Pierre Nkurunziza, the President of the Republic of Burundi, is the current Chairman of the East African Community. The EAC was originally...
.
Background and political career
Nkurunziza was born in 1963 in Burundi's capital city of BujumburaBujumbura
-Education:The University of Burundi is located in Bujumbura.Hope Africa University is located in BujumburaUniversité du Lac Tanganyika is located in Bujumbura-External links:**...
. He attended primary school in Ngozi
Ngozi Province
Ngozi is one of the 17 provinces of Burundi.The name Ngozi stands for blessing....
province and secondary school in Kitega before graduating from the University of Burundi in 1990. At the university, he majored in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and sports.
His father, Eustache Ngabisha, was elected
Burundi legislative election, 1965
Parliamentary elections were held in Burundi on 10 May 1965, the first since independence in 1962. Voters elected a 16-seat Senate for the first time, together with the National Assembly, which had been reduced from 64 to 33 seats...
to the Parliament of Burundi
Parliament of Burundi
The Parliament of Burundi consists of two chambers:*The Senate *The National Assembly...
in 1965 and later became governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of two provinces before being killed in 1972 during a period of ethnic violence that claimed the lives of over 100,000 Burundians.
Nkurunziza was a lecturer at Burundi University when civil war
Burundi Civil War
The Burundi Civil War was an armed conflict lasting from 1993 to 2005. The civil war was the result of long standing ethnic divisions between the Hutu and the Tutsi tribes in Burundi...
broke out in the country following the assassination of Burundi's first ethnic Hutu president, Melchior Ndadaye
Melchior Ndadaye
Melchior Ndadaye was a Burundian intellectual and politician. He was the first democratically elected and first Hutu president of Burundi after winning the landmark 1993 election...
, in 1993.
He joined the CNDD-FDD in 1995 as a soldier after the army attacked the university campus. In a 2004 interview with the IRIN humanitarian news agency, he recalls the events that occurred:
"In 1995, the Tutsi army attacked the campus and killed 200 students. They tried to kill me too. The attackers shot at my car but I got out and ran away. They torched my car. I then joined the CNDD-FDD as a soldier. This war was forced on us; we did not start it."
After rising through the ranks, Nkurunziza was appointed deputy secretary-general of the CNDD-FDD in 1998. In 2001, he was elected chairman. There was a split in the group in late 2001. He was re-elected to the post of chairman in August 2004.
Beginning in late 2003 and after the cease fire agreement, he was appointed Minister for Good Governance in the transitional government of President Domitien Ndayizeye
Domitien Ndayizeye
Domitien Ndayizeye is a Burundian politician who was President of Burundi from 2003 to 2005. Of Hutu descent, he succeeded Pierre Buyoya—a Tutsi—as national president on April 30, 2003, after serving as Buyoya's vice-president for 18 months...
.
On 11 September 2008, journalist Jean-Claude Kavumbagu
Jean-Claude Kavumbagu
Jean-Claude Kavumbagu is a Burundian Internet journalist who has been arrested on multiple occasions for issues related to his reporting. He is currently on trial for treason, and Amnesty International considers him to be a prisoner of conscience....
alleged that the cost of President Nkurunziza’s trip to see the Beijing Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
(an estimated 100 million Burundian franc
Burundian franc
The franc is the currency of Burundi. It is nominally subdivided into 100 centimes, although coins have never been issued in centimes since Burundi began issuing its own currency...
s) caused some civil servants’ salaries to be paid late. The government responded that the trip had only cost half of the alleged amount, and Kavumbagu was charged with "libelous writing and insulting remarks." Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, the Committee to Protect Journalists
Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...
, and PEN America
PEN America
PEN America: A Journal for Writers and Readers is a semi-annual literary journal that publishes fiction, poetry, conversation, criticism, and memoir. It is published by PEN American Center in New York City...
protested his arrest and called for his immediate release. Kavumbagu was cleared by a court in March 2009 and released from prison. However, the prosecutor appealed the case, and as of July 2010, it remains open.
Following a series of CNDD-FDD victories in elections
Burundi elections, 2005
The Republic of Burundi held several elections in 2005. The polls returned the nation to constitutional democratic rule after a devastating civil war that arose from long-standing ethnic tensions between the Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority....
held during June and July 2005, Nkurunziza was nominated as the party's presidential candidate. He was elected president unopposed by members of parliament
Parliament of Burundi
The Parliament of Burundi consists of two chambers:*The Senate *The National Assembly...
(acting as an electoral college
Electoral college
An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way...
) on 19 August 2005 and took office on 26 August 2005. He was re-elected in 2010
Burundian presidential election, 2010
A presidential election was held in Burundi on 28 June 2010. As a result of withdrawals and alleged fraud and intimidation, the incumbent was the only candidate.-Background:...
with more than 91% of the votes amidst an opposition boycott and sworn in for his second term on 26 August 2010.
Personal life
Nkurunziza was one of seven siblings. Two of his siblings were killed after civil war erupted in 1993, and three others died while fighting in the CNDD-FDD. Only one of his siblings, a sister, is alive today.A self-described born again Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and a big fan of sports, Pierre Nkurunziza married his wife in 1994 and is the father of five children. In 2009, Nkurunziza signed a law criminalizing consensual homosexuality, despite the Senate's overwhelming rejection of the bill.
External links
- Video and Summary of Nkurunziza Speech on First Visit to Washington at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for ScholarsWoodrow Wilson International Center for ScholarsThe Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars , located in Washington, D.C., is a United States Presidential Memorial that was established as part of the Smithsonian Institution by an act of Congress in 1968...
- IRIN interview with Pierre Nkurunziza, leader of CNDD-FDD
- Burundi's born-again ex-rebel leader (BBC)
- Burundi MPs appoint new president (BBC)