KARUSI / BUJUMBURA / KIRUNDO / KAYANZA / BUBANZA / MUYINGA, July 2 (ABP) – The people of the country’s provinces responded massively to the ceremonies marking the celebration of the 59th anniversary of Burundi’s independence, acquired on July 1, 1962.
In Karusi province (center-east), all the districts had sent delegations made up of people of all ages. At the independence monument, representatives of the administration, the police, political parties namely UPRONA, CNDD-FDD, Frodebu Nyakuri and APDR as well as representatives of the bashingantahe laid the bouquets at the independence monument. At the stadium as at the monument, prayers were led by representatives of religious denominations.
A long parade marked especially by the majorettes (for the first time), the police, pupils, civil servants, decentralized services, associations, people living with a disability, bankers, taxis, bicycle and motorcycle taxi riders, interested the public.
In his welcome address, the communal administrator of Buhiga, Mr. Thérence Bacebaseme, indicated that security is very good in his commune, the people are going about development work in the family as well as at the community level and that the harvest of the A and B growing season has been better. He invited the people to manage this harvest well, to prepare well for the C growing season by adapting to agriculture by irrigation and above all to maintain peace and security by vigilance, day and night.
On behalf of the government, the provincial governor, Ms. Calinie Mbarushimana read the speech addressed to the nation by the President of the Republic.
In Bujumbura (west) the ceremonies of the independence day took place at the headquarters of the province in Isare began with the laying of bouquets at the monument of national unity.
They continued with a long parade at the Ruyange stadium, in which civil servants from all socio-professional backgrounds took part, cultural animation groups, pupils from basic and post-basic schools, soldiers and police officers and finally majorettes.
In his welcoming speech, the administrator of Isare commune, Gilbert Niyonkuru, indicated that security is good throughout the commune, that the people are getting down to development works, the reason why the food production of season B is very satisfactory. However, he deplored the lack of an asphalt road that would pass through the headquarters of the province, jeopardizing the development of the town. He invited all those whose voices carry far to plead for the promise of tarring that road to be realized. The occasional speech was given by the governor of that province, Mr. Désiré Nsengiyumva; The latter read in full the speech that the President of the Republic addressed to the nation on the occasion of that independence day.
Regarding the message addressed to the population of his province, Governor Nsengiyumva called on the latter to safeguard peace and security. The enemies of the country are there, they must not sleep on the laurels but we must be vigilant, adding that any citizen of that province must roll up their sleeves to work. There should not be people begging in the streets, let alone diseases linked to malnutrition because Bujumbura province is very fertile, he added. Once production increased, he stressed that the people will have a remainder to sell to meet other needs. He urged the people to be characterized by unity and solidarity.
In Kirundo (north), the people of all the communes of Kirundo province gathered in the headquarters of the province to celebrate the 59th anniversary of Burundi’s independence. The ceremonies were started with a mass at the Queen of the Good Council parish of Kanyinya.
After reading the speech of the President of the Republic, the governor of Kirundo province, Mr. Albert Hatungimana asked the people to continue to welcome the returnees; He urged those who find their property looted to report it quickly to the administrative staff to resolve those problems in time.
He warned the people of Kirundo who spread rumors to smear others. Anyone who still dares to behave in this way will be punished according to the law, he stressed. He winked at people who do not respect the barrier measures against Covid-19 to know that the pandemic is still there, that they must instead help prevention. For the first time in Kirundo province, they attended the parade of majorettes and scouts who really embellished the ceremonies.
In Kayanza (north), the ceremonies to celebrate Burundi’s 59th birthday took place at the provincial headquarters and began with the laying of bouquets at the independence monument erected a few meters from the provincial office.
The governor of that province, Mr. Rémy Cishahayo laid a wreath in the first place. It was followed by the communal administration of Kayanza, the defense and security corps as well as the institution of notables (Abashingantahe) who in turn deposited their bouquets there.
The ceremonies continued at the Gatwaro stadium with a long parade which brought together different socio-professional layers to end with various speeches of the day given respectively by the communal administrator of Kayanza, Mr. Gilbert Nyandwi and the governor of Kayanza.
In his occasional speech, Governor Cishahayo recalled the misdeeds of the colonial period and asked the inhabitants of Kayanza to respect to the letter all the advice given to them by the Burundi Head of State in his speech addressed to the nation in this occasion.
The same provincial authority took the opportunity to warn the inhabitants of the urban center of Kayanza who, until today, have not yet installed public lighting on the fences of their residential houses. He said that the darkness at night is at the origin of the resurgence of cases of theft observed in recent days, from which no one should turn a deaf ear.
July 15, 2021 is the deadline to put in place street lighting, he added, noting that this is his entire final warning. He also made a final warning to the inhabitants of Kayanza who have houses, stores or shops along the RN1 but who have not yet paved the empty spaces in front of their buildings. While the provincial administration had recommended those funds to demolish all anarchic constructions erected along the RN1, Governor Cishahayo invited those who did not do so to wait until further notice.
In Bubanza, (north-west), the festivities were enhanced by the provincial governor, Cleophas Nizigiyimana and took place in the provincial capital, a check on the site by ABP has revealed. Some of the residents contacted by the ABP indicate that this 59th anniversary comes when some of the projects of Rwagasore, hero of independence, were implemented in that province despite repeated crises that Burundi has endured. They cited in particular the organization of the people in self-development cooperatives, the marked improvement in security and the good cohabitation of the people of Bubanza, certain public infrastructures which were built such as schools, health centers and play ground. They ask the inhabitants of that province to always think of going beyond everything that differentiates them and to prioritize the love of the fatherland which is their common denominator.
For his part, the governor of Bubanza province, Cleophas Nizigiyimana, calls on his leaders to strengthen security which, according to him, remains the major pillar of development.
In Muyinga (north-west), the people and administrators at all levels are called upon to safeguard peace and security in order to consolidate national independence.
The appeal was launched on Thursday by the provincial governor, Mr. Jean Claude Barutwanayo, during the ceremonies of the celebration of the 59th anniversary of the national independence of Burundi. While recognizing that the whole provincial entity is calm, no one should sleep on their laurels because “the enemy, him, prowls the door”, he declared at the Umuco stadium. He invited each administrative manager to have control of his entity, in particular by controlling the movement of the population. “There is no longer any question of a person being killed and that the chef de Colline does not give in his report the identity of the criminals. If this is the case, the village leader will be the first to respond to this fact”, he warned.
Speaking of the economy, he urged people not to waste the bean harvest as the days ahead could be bad for households. In terms of development, Governor Barutwanayo recalled the step taken in the execution of the flagship construction project of the provincial office. He asked the people to pay the contribution of 2000 BIF per household which is being collected by the hill chiefs. “It would be an honor for the people of Muyinga if the project were successful and if they had a building from our own efforts, and not the one left by the colonizer,” he insisted.
In Ruyigi (east), the provincial governor, Mrs. Tabu Emérencienne, in her speech, made it known that the meaning of independence is deep and goes very far through individual or collective physical freedom to the economic level to so much so that each citizen feels free at the level of economic production which allows him to free himself from any aid.
Each citizen is thus called to understand his role in development and thus to strengthen and safeguard national independence by producing enough. According to her, the citizen has the central role in achieving the desired development at both provincial and national level. She recalls that in terms of security, the administration and security organs need secure and reliable information to ensure proper security. She also pointed out that the people are 90% engaged in agriculture and they constitute the majority of consumers.
During those same ceremonies, the administrator of Ruyigi commune, Mrs. Antoinette Semugara called on the people of her commune to celebrate national independence by abandoning some bad behavior displayed especially at the level of the headquarters of the commune and Ruyigi province. Those include, among others, theft from households, excessive alcohol consumption and the depravity of Burundian mores that are currently manifesting themselves.