BUJUMBURA November 22nd (ABP) – Activists of the CNDD-FDD party celebrated the week dedicated to the fighter across the country on Thursday, November 18, 2021.
In Bujumbura City Hall, the ceremonies took place in Ntahangwa commune where the provincial secretary of the CNDD-FDD party, Mr. Didimond Mvuyekure called on activists to join cooperatives in order to improve production and fight against poverty.
The activities took place at the ETS Kamenge site and saw the participation of ex-combatants, demobilized persons, parliamentarians elected in this constituency, as well as members of the CNDD-FDD party in that commune.
In his speech for the occasion, Mr. Mvuyekure asked the participants in these ceremonies to safeguard the democracy and the peace which had hardly been found. He reminded them that peace is the fruit of the sacrifice of combatants. It is for that reason that it is time to exploit the goods of peace through membership in cooperatives in order to improve production. He also asked the grassroots administrators at the top to respect the laws and regulations put in place by the government.
The representative of the ex-combatants, Mr. Boniface Barinakandi affirmed that the CNDD-FDD party came as an answer to a multitude of questions from the people. He added that all the fighters who lost their lives during the struggle sacrificed themselves for democracy. According to Barinakandi, the only enemy that remains for the Burundians are hunger and poverty from which he asked them to go about development activities.
Based on the theme of this year, he called on the elders of the party to safeguard the hardly found peace by working in associations or cooperatives in order to implement the wish of the President of the Republic of Burundi to fight against hunger and poverty. Mr. Barinakandi asked parliamentarians and others who could influence decision-makers that ex-combatants need mutual health insurance as the noble work done before demobilization is appreciated.
Note that the end of the week dedicated to the fighter is scheduled for Saturday November 20, 2021 in Bugendana in Gitega province (center).
In Kayanza province (north), the ceremonies took place in Muhanga commune and were enhanced by the provincial secretary of the CNDD-FDD party, Mr. Ferdinand Habimana, at the same time a native of this commune as well as other natives working elsewhere. In his occasional remarks, Mr. Habimana said this week’s celebration is a good opportunity for veterans to self-assess from their time on the battlefield until today. For him, the civil war has ended but there remains a common enemy for all Burundians which is none other than hunger and poverty. Thus, he asked the Bagumyabanga to take the lead in the fight against this enemy in order to achieve sustainable development from households to the entire national territory.
He said he was satisfied that this week dedicated to the fighter is being celebrated when all the 262 Sangwe hill cooperatives in the province have already come together to form a federation bringing them together which, for him, will allow him to set up major projects.
He was also delighted that the Imbonerakure youth are organizing themselves to ally themselves with this federation of Sangwe cooperatives in Kayanza province. He then asked the Bakenyererarugamba women to change their mentalities by setting up cooperatives on all the 262 hills of Kayanza province.
In Cibitoke (north-west), the ceremonies of the week dedicated to the fighter took place in the afternoon of Thursday, November 18, in all the municipalities, where the various speakers spoke about the history of the fighter in the maquis.
In Buganda commune, members of the CNDD-FDD party joined the ex-combatants to celebrate this day. Mr. Omar Niyonzima, representing the demobilized in his speech, welcomed the large participation which was observed in Ndava. He spoke of the situation which motivated the taking up of arms, after the assassination of the first democratically elected head of state. Thus, he called on the participants to remember those who sacrificed their lives in these struggles for the return of democracy.
For the ex-combatants still alive, he encouraged them to stand up and lead by example to join cooperatives in order to self-develop and develop the country. The ceremonies ended with the sharing of a drink, village by village.
In Makamba (south), the Bagumyabanga of all the communes celebrated Thursday, November 18, 2021 the week dedicated to the combatant. In Nyanza-Lac, the ceremonies took place at the Kabo village stadium in the Muyange zone.
In his speech, the representative of the CNDD-FDD veterans league, Mr. Paul Hakizimana, said that every Burundian should remember the moments that mourned Burundi so that the future generation does not repeat the same mistakes. The malicious people made the history of Burundi written like this. He called on the people to continue to maintain peace and security. Work hard to honor the children of Burundi who shed their blood for the restoration of peace and democracy. The youth will have to learn to love their homeland as did their precursors.
Mr. Hakizimana also indicated that Burundi owes respect to the combatants because they gave themselves body and soul for the well-being of the Burundians.
The ceremonies were marked by songs and dances that encourage the bravery of veterans on the battlefield.