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Burundi faces civil disorder - Nyangoma
2006-09-03 10:08:17
By Correspondent Charles Kayoka
Burundi may revert to civil disorder if prompt measures are not taken to salvage the country from lawlessness, lack of political and economic vision and corrupt leadership.
In a recent telephone interview, the President of the Council for National Defence for Democracy (CNDD), Leornard Nyangoma, said: ’’What we are experiencing now in Burundi is a result of bad negotiations during the brokering for peace, and which lead to bad transitional structures.’’
Nyangoma has himself been forced to temporarily flee the country upon realizing that his life was in danger following stripping off his immunity, and being framed for keeping firearms at his residence.
He is also being suspected of participating in the recent coup plot and for allegedly siding with the armed FNL-PALIPEHUTU rebels.
’’We had earlier warned, when we were asked to hold elections, that the country was not yet ready for self-governance through elections since there were many things that we needed to take care of first, but our call was not heeded and what we see now in Burundi is exactly what we warned of,’’ he said.
Nyangoma was referring to the recent government-announced coup plot and which has led to arraigment of high level politicians, including the immediate transitional government President, Domicien Ndayizeye; the president of the breakaway FNL faction, Alain Mugabarabona, who is currently languishing in Mpimba Prison.
He told the media that the coup was nothing but a ploy to frame unwanted elements in the country.
Nyangoma claimed in Burundi, it was now almost normal for the authorities to use intelligence officers to kill people, or frame them in false allegations.
He said even political meetings of opposition parties are either restricted or completely forbidden, ’’and we are afraid now that media outlets which advocate for respect for human rights may soon be clamped down by the authorities.’’
He said apart from blatant violation of human rights, political incompetence and mismanagement, top leadership has engaged in corrupt deals which give economic huge benefits to only a few of the ruling party politicians, some of whom have established huge bank accounts in Europe.
He said although Burundi produces its own sugar, the commodity is very scarce and sold at high price as much of it is exported to a neighbouring country (name withheld), where it is being repackaged before being sent back to Burundi with labels indicating that sugar comes from a southern African country; ’’the sugar has become an economic entity of only six officials of the ruling party, ’’ he alleged.
Nyangoma further said that government in power does not have any economic programme, people were still very poor with the salaries bill being subsidized by a European country, saying some multi-lateral donors have refused to extend funding to Burundi under conditions that the government form a commission to investigate the shady deal of selling the presidential jet, one of such latest high level government corrupt deals.
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