Since the ending of April 2015, Burundi has seen a spate of opposition, demonstrations and skirmishes from its citizens continuously. The demonstrations and violence have led to the loss of lives, injuries and an exodus of refugees of approximately 150,000 entering the neighboring countries especially Tanzania and Uganda for protection and safety of their lives following the chaos.
Then the chaos was followed by a coup de ’tat attempt to removing in power the current President Pierre Nkurunziza. The leader of the attempted coup de ’tat was Godefroid Niyombare, a retired Burundi major general and who in the past was briefly at the helm of the intelligence apparatus, and later dismissed due to his opposition for President Pierre Nkurunzinza to seek a third term on the power. The failed coup de ’tat was attempted when the incumbent president was attending a reconciliation meeting in Dar Salaam to solve the plight in his country.
The factor that led to the pandemonium and the failed coup de’ tat in Burundi is following the announcement made by the ruling party (CNDD-FDD) that President Pierre Nkurunziza would seek a third term in office. A move that protesters and public in general claimed to be in contrary with the constitution and violates the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement. While President Nkurunziza and his supporters argued that his first term was an appointed position and thus does not fall within the two-term limit. His interpretation was also upheld by the country’s constitutional court.
What continues in Burundi, in its wider political panorama, is nothing but a struggle of interests and political influence between colonial powers in exploiting Africa’s resources. Especially America which has unquenchable enthusiasm to strengthen and maintains its influence and curb its interests and controlling Europe in that country through its agent, the incumbent president Pierre Nkurunziza. America seems to be wary of the heir of the throne after him.
The entire Great Lakes region of which Burundi is part of is an imperative region to the different capitalists and especially since it is the gateway to the other vital regions that have vast wealth like Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) etc.
Also, the region includes Lake Victoria, the second largest fresh water later in the world while Lake Tanganyika, the world’s second largest in volume as well as the second deepest. Furthermore these large rift lakes of Africa are the ancient home of great biodiversity; 10 percent of the world’s fish species are found there. Lakes Victoria, Tanganyika, and Nyasa/ Malawi hold a quarter of the planet’s freshwater supply.
On the other hand, the European countries, which are the former colonial masters of Burundi, crave for the recuperation of Burundi to their grasp.
The genesis of the country of Burundi was one country with Rwanda under the colonial rule of Germany/German East Africa. Known as Ruanda-Urundi. After the defeat of Germany in the First World War, the land was robbed of Germany and given to Belgium which divided it into Rwanda and Burundi. Belgium, for its own political interests in Ruanda-Urundi maintained a great scope of the tribal animosity between the Hutu and Tutsi, the two biggest tribes. A condition that led to the eruption of tribal antagonism which culminated into the 1959 genocide, where the Hutu attacked the Tutsi and massacred them by the thousands. Many Tutsi escaped to Uganda, Burundi, Congo and Tanzania to find freedom from persecution.
Until now, all the countries neighboring Rwanda and Burundi host in great number of folks from these tribes.
Burundi, despite being regarded as one of the poorest countries in the world, it’s a country that is inundated with vast natural resources and an environment full of moisture among the Great Lake countries. It is one of the 10 biggest coffee producers in Africa and buyers of its beans include Starbucks Corp. According to the African Development Bank, it holds 6 percent of the world’s nickel reserves. On top of that, it is a source of the Nile River linked from Lake Victoria to its headwaters via the Ruvyironza River. Among the major lakes in East Africa, Lake Tanganyika is located in much of Burundi’s southwestern corner.
Even though President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi is not from Tutsi background. In many instances US played the tribal card to maintain its influence from Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi which in many cases ruled by the Tutsi tribesmen backed by America since 1994.
For instance, when the Tutsi rebels, backed by America, seized power in Rwanda in 1994. The eastern flank of Congo together with these three states built a formidable fortress of American influence in the heart of the African continent. Thus they were able to uproot British and French influence from the region.
That is precisely why during the attempted coup against the President of Burundi, the US played down even not confirming if the coup had taken place.
State Department Spokesman Jeff Rathke said at a briefing said, “We are aware certainly of reports from some expressing a desire to take power by the military. We are not able to confirm that.”
Such a statement signifies that America controlled and ensured that the coup de’tat failed through its allies in the Burundi army; or via its allies in the neighboring countries especially considering the fact there was misunderstanding on the success or failure of the coup de’tat. In reality it is observed that the coup de’tat was almost a success if not at all success! Then the coup de’tat plotters were outmaneuvered since President Nkurunziza was in hiding for some time. When the President surfaced, he still remained in hiding at Ngozi state, a state he was born in the North bordering Rwanda, a country loyal to America as if President Nkurunziza was waiting for an order to return back to the capital city Bujumbura.
Later, America released an officially press statement confirming President Nkurunziza through the State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke who said, “There are competing claims to authority but we recognize President Nkurunziza as the legitimate president.”
It is therefore crystal clear that President Pierre Nkurunziza, is on the American side, while major General Godefroid Niyombare, a Burundian military officer who led the coup and who is believed his dismissal by Pierre Nkurunziza, was after the leaking of his 10-page memo against the third-term bid of President Nkurunziza.
Simultaneously, the European Union has halted its aid to the country and also their think tanks consider the coup attempt as a nice token:
As revealed by Fillip Reyntjens, a professor of law and politics at the University of Antwerp in Belgium and expert in the African Great Lakes region who said, “If this coup succeeds and consolidates this may well be what one may call a good coup d’état.”
Under the yoke of the capitalist ideology, Africa despite being inundated with vast natural resources and wealth, still it is regarded to be among the poorest continents, inferior and ignominious! Consequently, its populace is always victim to being the battleground of political strife between the capitalist states. Africa is in a dire need of the Islamic State Khilafah to intellectually redeem its populace and salvage its vast natural resources which are inferiorly sold if not pilfered at all.
Masoud Msellem
Written for Ar-Rayah Newspaper – Issue 26