BUJUMBURA, June 21st (ABP) – The President of the Republic of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, spoke on Wednesday, 19 June 2024, on the occasion of the celebration of the 4th anniversary of his investiture.
In his speech, the President of the Republic highlighted the main areas in which progress had been made during his 4 years at the head of the country. He expressed his satisfaction with the country’s security situation, pointing out that Burundians were no longer concerned about security because, according to him, it was guaranteed, adding that they were more concerned with work.
With regard to Burundi’s international standing, the Head of State expressed his satisfaction at the fact that Burundi is no longer seen as a burden, but is considered at its true value as a contributor to the return of peace in the world, and that the world recognizes that human rights are guaranteed in comparison with previous years, according to the Head of State.
On the subject of justice, the President of the Republic pointed out that crimes no longer go unpunished. The judicial authorities are investigating and convicting criminals without distinction. In the case of social disputes, the President of the Republic noted that a step had been taken towards resolving them, even if there was still a long way to go. A situation that has been made possible by the institution of hillside mediators.
On the subject of transitional justice, the President of the Republic appealed to the patience of Burundians in order to get to the bottom of the matter thanks to the work of the CVR, adding that impatience could, in his view, lead to the wrong decisions being taken.
With regard to the protection of public property, the President of the Republic stated that his priority was to combat the misappropriation of public funds, corruption and the squandering of public funds. To improve economic governance, Mr. Ndayishimiye pointed out that many measures had been taken to strengthen the Central Bank, believing that it had once again become the bank for banks, leaving behind its status as a bank for businessmen.
For him, since his investiture, he has been fighting to ensure that the money that should be going into the state coffers does so. To that end, he mentioned the campaign to combat fraud involving goods entering the country illegally. He reiterated his call for everyone to take responsibility in monitoring and reporting suspicious cases, indicating that the government was committed to protecting those working in the private sector.
The President of the Republic called on investors to invest in areas that generate wealth. It was in that context that agriculture was highlighted as a wealth-generating investment sector, with the aim of ensuring that “every mouth has food and every pocket money”.
Nevertheless, he pointed out that there are some people who incite others to rebellion. He pointed out that those inciters hide behind false rhetoric, because they can no longer carry out their tasks, by monopolizing the wealth of others, of the State, etc. He appealed to Burundians not to give credence to their rhetoric, but to question their end. He appealed to Burundians not to give credence to their rhetoric, but to question its purpose, which is probably to prevent the achievement of Vision 2040 and plunge the country back into chaos. In that respect, he called for a new awareness of where we come from and where we want to go.
The President of the Republic also pointed out that there are signs of hope. Burundians have embraced citizenship and are concerned about safeguarding common assets, including buildings. Burundi has a rich soil whose exploitation would be more beneficial to the country’s economic recovery.
He appealed to Burundians to have the same vision, to be determined to pursue it and not to turn away from the goal, adding that the step already taken was made possible by unity in the coordination of efforts.