March 29, 2024

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Burundi Government approves the new party of the opponent Agathon Rwasa

The Burundian government on Thursday approved the new political formation of Agathon Rwasa, the main opponent of the country, after the latter agreed to change the name of his party, this was learnt from Mr. Rwasa and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In November, the Interior Ministry refused to accept the National Front for Freedom – Amizero y’Abarundi (Burundi Hope), on the grounds that its “acronyms, emblems and motto are similar to those of a political party. already approved “.

This name was in fact a very clear allusion to the party that emerged from the former Hutu rebellion of the National Liberation Forces (FNL), whose historical leader, Mr. Rwasa, had been ousted in 2011 for the benefit of a close to power.

After initially refusing to change the name of his party, Rwasa finally opted for the National Congress for Freedom (CNL), which he obtained approval.

“We are satisfied because our party, the CNL, was finally approved today after several months of waiting,” Rwasa told AFP. “It was not easy, but finally patience paid off.”

The information, which circulated on social networks, was confirmed by the Burundian Ministry of Interior, which ensures that “the Ministerial Order of approval of the CNL party was handed today to one of its representatives.”

Rwasa created his new party in the run-up to the 2020 elections in Burundi because the new Constitution adopted in 2018 no longer allows a coalition of independents to present themselves, as was the case in 2015 for the coalition Amizero y’Abarundi which then became the second largest political force in the country.

This coalition, however represented in the National Assembly, could no longer organize meetings, while hundreds of its members languish in prison for clandestine meetings or attack on the security of the State.

Burundi has been in crisis since President Pierre Nkurunziza announced in April 2015 his candidacy for a controversial third term. He was re-elected in July of the same year.

The violence that accompanied the crisis has claimed at least 1,200 deaths and displaced more than 400,000 people between April 2015 and May 2017, according to estimates by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has opened an investigation.

The independent press still present in the country continues to document every week cases of arbitrary arrests, torture or enforced disappearance of Rwasa activists, mainly committed by Imbonerakure, the youth league of the ruling CNDD-FDD party. , described as a militia by the UN.

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