BUJUMBURA February 28th (ABP) – A march of support and congratulations to the Burundi Head of State, Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye, was organized on Saturday February 25, 2023 in all the provinces of the country, under the theme, “Our warmest congratulations to our champion father of the nation, friend of the young people of Burundi and of the whole Africa”, for the responsibilities entrusted to him during the holding of the 36th Summit of the African Union (AU) Heads of State.
In Bujumbura City Council (west of the country), the activities were honored with the presence of Vice President of the Republic, Mr. Prosper Bazombanza, and young people from the three communes that make up the City Council.
In his speech for the occasion, Mr. Bazombanza meant that being elected among the five people who make up the AU Office is an honor for Burundi and could be beneficial for the country. Here, he explained, President Ndayishimiye is already at the chairmanship of the EAC, his confidence in 3rd place of the AU means that he will be at the chairmanship of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), next year.
In 2025, added the Vice President of the Republic, Mr. Ndayishimiye will chair the Central Bank of Central African States (BCEAC) for his preparation at the chairmanship of the African Union Council in the future, he hoped, adding that it will be a great honor for Burundi.
According to Mr. Bazombanza, the election of the President of Burundi as African Youth Champion for Peace and Security is also an honor for Burundians. In order to support the Head of State in the accomplishment of his assigned missions, he invited Burundians to actively participate in development work and maintain public infrastructure for a clean city. Young people must support the Head of State by creating income-generating activities to contribute to the sustainable development of the country.
He also called on the inhabitants of Bujumbura City to take advantage of the current security situation to work day and night for sustainable development, by making the young people work in groups/teams to reduce the unemployment rate. He also specified that President Ndayishimiye has in his programs, the construction project of the new central market of Bujumbura.
Taking the floor, the representative of young people at the national level, Dr. Thierry Ingabire, also congratulated the Head of State for that position. Thus, he asked the President to provide more support to young people with a view to reducing unemployment and encouraged them to team up in cooperatives to support peace and the development of the country.
It is worthy to recall that before proceeding to the march of support and congratulations to the Burundi Head of State, Vice President Bazombanza associated himself with the administrative officials and the city dwellers, in the community development work consisting in the pavement of the classrooms Mutanga Sud basic school, commonly known as Kwa Ntabona.
In Bururi province, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Burundi, Gervais Ndirakobuca, asked the people of Bururi province, the administration and the members of the joint human security committees to redouble their efforts to maintain peace and tighten security in view of identifying the alleged perpetrators of the killings. He said it when a man has been killed recently in Mugozi village of Bururi commune and province.
Gervais Ndirakobuca asked the people of Bururi to harness all the land properties, uproot the trees of eucalyptus varieties to replace them with agro-forestry and fruit plants, in order to increase food production. He added that the youth must work to support the initiatives of the President of the Republic, recently crowned in the African Union. Note that this speech was made after the community work consisting of growing eucalyptus trees along the Bururi-Gitega road under construction.
In Bubanza province (north-west of Burundi), the very activities were honored with the presence of the First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Mrs. Sabine Ntakarutimana, a check on the site by ABP revealed.
During the march, one could read on placards: “Young people, let us mobilize to support our responsible and hardworking government, through development projects; Your Excellency the President of the Republic, you are for the youth, the Champion of the fight against poverty; We, the Youth, are committed to taking the lead and making Burundi a developed country; Champion in resolving the concerns of African youth, we are at your side”.
In her speech, Mrs. Ntakarutimana called on the inhabitants of Bubanza province to maintain peace and tighten security, and to double vigilance in order to deal with ill-intentioned people. She invited them to family planning because, she says, demographic pressure leads to the increase in consumers in relation to production, and to rising prices.
To young people, she asked them to team up in self-development cooperatives, to devote themselves to studies for their better future, solidarity and brotherhood, as well as the safeguarding of Burundian mores and education. She appealed to the various authorities to provide good service to those who approach them. It is worth noting that the march was preceded by community development work, which consisted of the continuation of the construction of the modern stadium based in the headquarters of the province.
The inhabitants of Kayanza (north) also joined the people of Burundi in organizing a march of congratulations to the Burundi Head of State for various responsibilities entrusted to him by the African Union. That activity was honored with the presence of the Minister of the Interior, Community Development and Public Security Mr. Martin Niteretse, the parliamentarians elected in Kayanza province, the provincial governor as well as the heads of both provincial and communal services.
Led by Mr. Niteretse, the march was marked by slogans written in four languages, namely Kirundi, Kiswahili, French and English, as well as songs praising the Burundian President for the bravery and determination characterizing him.
In his speech for the occasion, the provincial representative of the National Youth Council, Mr. Alain Guillaume Irankunda, testified that the Burundi Head of State deserved that honor and that tangible evidence is there to demonstrate it. For example, he said, the Head of State, baptized friend of young people, initiated the Economic Empowerment and Youth Employment program as well as the FIGA fund. On that occasion, he urged the youth of Kayanza to follow with interest the orientations of the Burundian President especially by contributing to development, by modernizing the farming sector, by joining cooperatives, and many others. For Mr. Irankunda, Burundi lights up the whole Africa, which proves with no doubt that Burundi is the heart of Africa.
Taking the floor, Minister Niteretse said that things have moved on and that young people are no longer called Burundi of tomorrow but rather Burundi of today and tomorrow. He invited the inhabitants of Kayanza, adults and children, to support the Head of State through development work in order to safeguard and savor the benefits that the country continues to gain. Shortly before, Minister Niteretse joined the inhabitants of Kayanza in the community work consisting in the growing of grevillea trees carried out at the Kayanza military camp.
In Bujumbura province, the march followed the community development work of tracing a track that connects the Nyabiraba, Kinyami and Bubaji villages in Nyabiraba commune, which were honored with the presence of the 2nd Vice President of the Senate, Mr. Cyriaque Nshimirimana, and executives native to that province.
In his speech, the deputy leader of the Provincial Youth Council, Mr. Marc Bakuza, recalled the various initiatives initiated by the President of the Republic to combat unemployment among young people, in particular the call for young people to group together in cooperatives and the creation of the Investment Bank for Young Entrepreneurs (BIJE) which grants them loans for self-development. He also spoke about the African youth conference on peace and security which was held in the economic capital Bujumbura and which, from now on, will host such conferences every time and Bujumbura could become the capital of youth, he said, before promising on behalf of Burundian youth that young people will respond to every call from the President of the Republic to develop the country.
The speech of the day was delivered by Mr. Nshimirimana, who called on Burundians to support the President of the Republic by the good organization of families, the increase in food production, the fight against hunger and not to sell all the production of maize and potatoes which will feed the families. He called on parents to be a light in the community and to upbring children well, and this requires giving one’s all.
The people of Gitega province (center of the country) also joined other Burundians from different provinces in a march-demonstration to congratulate and support the President of the Republic, Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye, for his responsibilities entrusted to him in the sub-region, in the region and in the African Union.
The governor of Gitega province, Mr. Venant Manirambona, called on the people of his province to patriotic love by limiting births and avoiding selling their properties without valid reason in order to ensure a good development of families. To that end, he reminded State officials to be good servants of the constituents. It is worth noting that this march-demonstration was enlightened by community development works which consisted in the unblocking of the gutter of the RN8, very close to the polytechnic university of Gitega.
The young people of Rutana province are called upon by Governor Olivier Nibitanga to support the Head of State in his development objectives.
The transitional representative of young people in that province, Mr. David Nizigama, noted that the President of the Republic deserved to have the role assigned to him by the leaders of the governments of the countries members of the African Union (AU), after having considered his efforts in the country. He called on the young people of the said province to respond to the appeal of the President by joining development cooperatives.
A march-demonstration to support and congratulate the President of the Republic of Burundi elected as the Champion of African youth and member of the office of the African Union, preceded by community development works, also took place in Cankuzo, Makamba, Rumonge and Mwaro provinces, where the people of those provinces were called upon to overcome their difference by expressing true love, going about development work, for every mouth to have something to eat and every pocket to have money, working ardently to show the international opinion that Burundi is home to the capital of African youth, and supporting the Head of State while teaming up in cooperatives, growing crops, raising domestic animals, and transforming production to contribute to the development of the country.