University of Burundi: Scars of ethnic group conflict or Ignorance?

There were some periods, where the University of Burundi has known some kinds of ethnic group and regional conflicts since its creation till now. This situation has inspired―and, indeed, necessitates significant research into its likely causes, consequences and whether such conflicts still exist in student, lecturer, and personnel of that institution’s minds. Before proceeding with the analysis of this topic, it is of a paramount important and necessary to define some key words like University and ethnic group. As far as The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary is concerned, “University” is defined as an institution at the highest level of education where you can study for a degree or do research. And “Ethnic group” is the group of human beings which share the same language, culture and live in the same areas. Arestudents in the University of Burundi right or wrong when they are quarrelling due to their belonging ethnic groups in these days? What shall be done to overcome such Legacy?This is the core of this article.
Nowadays, in the University of Burundi, the only one public university, there are tensions between young Hutus and Tutsis caused by ethnic group prejudice. To understand this, we need to have a short glance on historical setting of our country. Burundi has been torn by civil war since the mid―1960s. Since the first outbreak in 1965, the country has experienced four more episodes of civil wars based on ethnic group conflicts in 1972, 1988, 1991, and 1993 to 2003. These experiences suggest that the Burundi elite’s claim that they are fighting for an ethnic cause is pure demagogy. They use ethnicity, a highly issue, to mobilize their belonging ethnic groups for private gains.
To exemplify this demagogy, let us talk about two cases. First, it is a period by the time Tutsis were occupying high places in UPRONA government and in army. During this time, of course, there were some Tutsis who could live by excluding Hutus and privileging their relatives or friends. They were well off; their children could study in good schools and finish their studies abroad. Sometimes their children got state scholarship by replacing the names of the ones who truly got it. They could live comfortably. But, there were other Tutsis who were suffering because of poverty. There were many illiterate and peasant Tutsis whereas those who were on power could think, by maintaining the power; they were defending the ideology of minority Tutsis.Psychologically, these poor Tutsis could think that they were protected but not. It’s Not because, their so called co ethnic groups were creating a bomb of injustice and oppression which at any moment could explode. This was what happened. In 1993, a small group of brutal soldiers from Tutsi ethnic group contaminated others to kill the President who was democratically elected, thinking that they were saving all Tutsis. By contrast Tutsis, in all provinces, innocent children, women, old, men, disable, were killed, whereas they did not know the face or the name of NDADAYE.

THEY PUT FLOWERS TO THE MONUMENT- HUTU MASSACRES OF 1995- UNIVERSITY OF BURUNDI

Also, in 1993, after the massacres which took lives of many Tutsis, revenges started. Young Tutsi who had escaped death at the hands of Hutu militia within Bujumbura and later had been manipulated by a group of politicians, a “self -Defense” movement resulted in the creation of two militia called Sans Echec(Those who never fail) and Sans Défaite(those who never lose). It was until the return of BUYOYA, a Tutsi President, on power in July 1996 that those Tutsi militias were neutralized. Some were killed and imprisoned, while others were integrated into the army.
Second, let us take this period where many Hutus have high positions in the CNDD FDD government and army. Historically there were many rebellions which were fighting for Hutus and I can enumerate FNL PALIPEHUTU and CNDD FDD to name a few, all came from FRODEBU Political Party. Their goals were to infiltrate themselves into government and army in order to occupy those places and have the same opportunities. In these days, though some improvements, our country is known to be among the poorest countries in the world and we know that the majority of Burundians are Hutus, more 80% of the population. By implication, it means that among people who are poor, many of them are Hutus whereas most of leaders who are decision takers are Hutus. It is a paradox.
Also, remember by the time when the main two Hutu rebellions, were fighting with the army, they sometimes killed one another till in refugee camps in Tanzania, DRC where they had escaped the massacre. No one can ignore that most of the refugees, who were in Kagera and Kigoma to name a few, had been killed one another whereas all of them were Hutus and they had fled their country because they were persecuted. After many years of suffering, they came back in their mother country, but they are suffering because of the poverty. And the nowadays ruling political Party in Burundi is known to be a Hutu majority.
In Burundi, many of those who incite Tutsis and Hutus to violence are politicians interested in private gains. Once in power they quickly forget their coethnics who fought for them. We can use an old Burundian proverb: “A well raised child does not talk when his mouth is full.”It became a habit for most Burundian politicians.
Students in the University have right to vote someone that they share the same ethnic group but no one has a right to be extremist in voting his representative. Everyone is free to choose the representative of his or her wish that he sees in him or her as a strong leader. And students are right to vote the candidate they share the same ethnic group, religion, sex, region, and others, when they see in him or her capable to lead them. However, when students are electing their representatives basing on their ethnic groups, it is a very old and ignorant belief. To see students, intellectual that we have behaving so, it means that they didn’t learn any lesson from many tragedies which took lives of many innocent Burundians in past.

POLICE AGENTS ARE CLEARING THE OFFICE OF THE RECTOR IVADED BY STRIKERS: UNIVERSITY STUDENTS REMONSTRATING THE TERRIBLE DELAY OF THEIR SCHOLARSHIP

We must know that ethnic group is not a problem, but extremists are the problem to our society. In the book, From Bloodshed to Hope in Burundi, written by U.S Ambassador in Burundi, Robert Krueger and Kathleen Krueger (1993) they state that it is normal to be born from a certain ethnic group or other origin. They say:
We must, instead, recognize that we can be separate from people because of language, culture, distance, time, habits, race, and color― and yet know that there are ultimately superficial differences. If we close our eyes and hear a baby cry, we cannot tell whether it is Burundian or America; if we see a skeleton in a field, we do not know whether they are African or European; but in either case we know that they are human beings.(Preface xv)
From the above assertion, we can understand that to be born from white, black, Hutu, Tutsi, Twa, Ganwa, tall, short family is natural. We did not choose to come from the families we are now. No one can boast, complain, be insulted, be persecuted for having been born from the families we have cited above. Also, no one could vote for someone because of his ethnic group. We have to fight for a Burundi where a character and potentials, not Ethnic group, class, color, sex or origin would determine a person’s status.

THEY HAVE WRITTEN!!!!!

Brief, there many people who can build a development of our country, but young students are a pillar of a Burundi we need. We can hope a change in our Burundian youth especially some students of the University of Burundi. Shall we be able to produce men and women of integrity, leadership and determination like Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, RWAGASORE, and NDADAYE to name a few, to develop their country when the present stock of our youth, who by birthday are the leaders of tomorrow are already infected by the very disease that crippled their parents and their ancestors? It is hard not to say impossible to believe in our youth. But it doesn’t mean that all students are the same. There are some who are truthful and neutral but they should act in order to unify their friends.

JUSTE PICASSO NDUWAYO

EAC INTEGRATION

Understanding the Opportunities and Challenges arising from EAC Integration for Youth

Juste Picasso Nduwayo
Journalist in internship at RTNB

All over the world, countries go together to form a community in order to share the same travel to development. Five countries in Africa, that is, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda which are in Great Lakes region have formed East African Community.

Youth constitute about 60 per cent (70 million people) of the entire population of the East African Community. Integration starts with people’s attitudes and to realize a complete integration process, first, there is need to influence youth’s ways of thinking through social, economic, and political integration in order to find ways of facing challenges and exploiting opportunities. Knowing the problems that hamper the East African youth progress and possibilities and occasions of moving forward would be the only way to a sustainable development in East African Community. This is what this essay is about.

To start with, there are many opportunities arising from East African Community for youth in East Africa.

Firstly, Common market creates space for the youth in East Africa with job opportunities. Creating a common market means removing obstacles to the free movement of both labor and capital. So, the youth are the first people to profit from job opportunities because they are active. Free movement of labor is perceived as highly desirable in all countries of East African community and youth occupies a big number in the Community to gains from the common market.

Secondly, Exchange of experience between youth help them to up lift one another. By sharing skills and knowledge, youth learn many things from their fellow citizens; an occasion that has helped much many young people to create their own jobs through associations regardless their nationalities, ethnic groups, religions, ideas to name few. For example, EAC University students’ debate on regional Integration promotes a dialogue between youth to overcome challenges that our community is facing and to discover in unison the opportunities that the community has.

Thirdly, youth profits much from inter university relations for all countries in East African Community. Inter university has brought my gains for young students of the community such as abolition of student visas for East Africans, Standardization of university fees for citizens of East Africans and implementation of student and lecturer exchange programs at university level. For instance, students from any country of the community are free to choose any faculty or University of the community without limits; this would increase the skills among the youth of community.

However, although there are many opportunities, some challenges cannot lack in a new community which has a big number of poor persons. The youth are the first persons to suffer today and in the year to come.  Here below there are challenges that hamper the progress of the youth in East Africa.

First of all, there is a lack of awareness about East African Community Works among young people. No one can ignore that only decision makers, leaders, journalists, EAC Members of Parliament, and some businessmen are aware of the works of East African Community. The rest of the other population, youth included, remains in the darkness of ignorance about EAC activities.

Second, lack of common culture for all countries in EAC is a hindrance for youth to really work for the community. Language barriers have been a big problem for youth to easily communicate with other young people. For example, English, which is a lingua franca of EAC members, can only be found in educational programs in Burundi. It is not taught to all citizens whereas it is the only tool of communication that would be used to work in unison with other people of the EAC.

Third, failure of implementation of some projects by incumbent leaders of EAC is a hindrance for youth to massively integrate in the community. Decision makers of the community have thought of good and strong projects to develop the EAC but most of those ones have remained in papers. Due to these projects which remains theoretical, youth has lost the energy to march in foot print of the community progress.

In addition, to overcome these challenges requires the contribution of all young people in EAC. Youth should create EAC clubs and Networks in the community so to empower youth with ideas about the EAC progress. Also to get involved in the issues that affect them like HIV, poverty, unemployment, corruption and to make all countries of EAC an English speaking environment. Leaders should leave theories in their projects and implement them also explain about EAC activities and multiply debates on EAC integration.

In conclusion, in East African Community there are many opportunities that need to be exploited and many challenges that hamper the progress of youth development and to understand them will improve the life of the youth in their future. As far as I am concerned, I share the same view with someone who said ’Tell me the youth you have I will tell you the people you will be’’. Which means, if we have young people who can face the challenges of these days and who are able to exploit the opportunities, make sure that in the years to come, we will have fathers, mothers, ministers, Doctors, experts, engineers, directors, decision makers to name a few who will be able to sustain the EAC and going forward in the development.

                                                                                  Juste Picasso NDUWAYO

TIME CEREBRATION

 

Juste Picasso NDUWAYO

                 Goodbye my 30 years old…

In the life of the universe, 30 years passes quickly like a lightning but for a human, like me it is a long period to have done something great to me or to the humanity. Turning 30 years old is a big deal for some and just another birthday for others and lot of this depends on what you have accomplished and what you have not by this point of your life. I recognize the significance of what 30 years old means to me; it marks a beginning of mature adulthood and retrospection of my past and good vision of the future.

Being 30 years old has many interpretations by different people. Some people admitted they feel old and some said they feel young. Some people are married or have kids, some do not. Some people say they are happy with where they are in life, and other are searching for more.

Many persons have done something great in the world history, when they were 30 years old in many careers like in religion, music, sport, art, science, war, politics, technology, medicine, philosophy, etc. Let me take examples in the Bible. Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was 30 years old (Luke3:23), also John Baptiste started preaching at the age of 30 years old, and Ezekiel started to prophesize at his 30 years old ( Ezek1:1), David was 30 years old when he started his reign on Israel. 30 years old was the age that Joseph was when he went out from jail to govern Egypt.

I am cerebrating my 30th birthday, a birthday which is significant and meaningful to me. This period has been marked by school education from primary school to the university, internship, training and learning new jobs. Also it was marked by experience in front of challenges and opportunities in life. Also I have grown up in a generation raised in a shadow of ethnic group conflicts and different crises due to fragile political stability which affected me as so many citizens during that period. I am cerebrating my birthday while our country is in economic, social and political turmoil. We hope for a better future. People who inspire me are Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr., Louis RWAGASORE, Melchior NDADAYE, etc.

During that period I got time to know my society. I have lived and met with different persons like young, and old people, peasants and leaders, intellectuals and illiterates, intelligent and stupid persons, employed and unemployed people, rich and poor people, singles and married, lazy and hardworking people, town dwellers and countryside people, ladies and gentlemen, friends and enemies, rebels and soldiers, Burundians and foreigners, Blacks and Whites, kind and nasty people, trust and unmanageable persons, Believers and non-believers, etc. All these categories of persons have made me the person I am today.

In the years to come, once the destiny permits it, I hope to have the audacity to think differently from the old prejudices like differences in religion, political parties, areas, ethnic groups, social classes etc. that have crippled my lovely community. Hope to strengthen my faith so that when I do bad I would feel bad and when I do good I would feel good. I hope to have my voice, my works and my contribution to be heard not only in my community but also in the world. I hope to see my community changing from the poorest country to the developing country. “Yes we can”. Obama said.

Brief, I should have done some great in my first finished mandate, but hope to improve in the future. Since my birthday until now, so many people have built my personality. I would like to thank not only those who opened my opportunities but also those who challenged me because by challenging me they strengthened my manhood. And Benjamin franklin said: “At twenty years of age the will reigns, at thirty, the wit; and at forty, the judgment”. My ambition is to keep the promise of my parents and go beyond what they achieved. God bless us.


   

                                                                                             Juste Picasso NDUWAYO

Burundi 2025 vision

2025, Burundi’s problems will soon find solutions:A dream by Juste Picasso Nduwayo

Juste Picasso NDUWAYO

Every person observes a series of images, events and feelings that happen in his/her mind when he/she is asleep. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of the dreams and act at the same time. Out of every crisis comes the hope to be reborn, to conceive ourselves as individuals, to think about the kind of change that will help us to grow and fulfill ourselves more completely. The situation that the Burundi is facing today is that of great economic depression, poverty, leadership failure in the country, corruption, injustice, Laziness, hatred, Nepotism, embezzlement but together we will achieve more. How, why, when, by who, this is what this writing is about.

To start with, let me talk to you about BURUNDI, my lovely mother land. Burundi is a small very poor country which is located in the heart of Africa. Geographically speaking, it is a landlocked country between Rwanda (north), D.R.C (west) and Tanzania (East) with a total area of 27.830km2. The climate is temperate, warm, and occasionally frost in uplands and the terrain is mostly rolling to hilly highland with some plains. It is among the Great Lakes countries and it belongs to East Africa community.  Its capital is BUJUMBURA and it has 17 provinces with 129 communes. In addition, Burundi has many resources, enough water, and good atmosphere, enough man power and other much potential for the development.

I have a dream that, after twelve years later, all the above cited problems will find solution. Today we are observing economic depression in many countries, which affect the lives of Burundian people. I hope that things will grow better. We have observed leadership failure in many African countries. Nowadays, Burundian leaders are accused of demagogy, corruption, and political victimization. I have a dream that after twelve years later, good leadership will find a way. Leaders will no longer make justice the engine of their will. The meanest thing that we see in the whole Africa is that kind of leadership failure that we hope, after twelve years later will be over. I hope that, after twelve years later, African leaders will be featured by frankness, explicitness, love, practical democracy, true prayer, Ubuntu, to name few by a necessary and courageous approach to realities formerly kept under diplomatic wraps and covered by political conveniences.

I have a dream that, after ten years later, people will know their principal mission to know the truth from their leaders and to face reality, that leaders’ actions will be properly guided in the maintenance of peace and of security of peoples. I do not fear for the future of people but rather for the future of those who will not understand it and accept its dictates. ‘’This world is a dangerous place not because of those who are doing evil but because of good ones who look on and do nothing’’ Albert Einstein said.

I have a dream that people will know that the idea of force in Burundi will be out of date and negative. I am hopeful that people will stand up for hard working philosophy and fight for their rights. This will depend on equal responsibilities of people. Students should be taught from primary school to university a no violence spirit, a behavior which would affect even our future leaders.

I also have a dream that, after twelve years later, war will be over, that Burundi will be a peaceful place and people will no longer be anxious and fearful of damaging attacks like that of 1965,1972, 1988, 1993 to name few which made our country having a fragile political stability. Many citizens were forcibly fled their lovely country, a situation which caused a current land problem among Burundians. A Burundian should be that person who forgets about the ancient prejudices of division on ethnic groups, region, political parties etc. sew by  our German and Belgian colonizers. To be called a Hutu, a Tutsi, a Twa, a Ganwa should not be a problem, A dream of Burundi of equal people will become a reality in Mixed blood, I mean when there would be many  marriages between Hutu and Tutsi and vice versa. So that after a certain time Burundi would be inhabitant by one ethnic group, Hutsi and foreigners.

Consequently, Burundi would be a country where Character and not political party, ethnic group, region, sex or origin, would determine a person’s status.In short, my dream on Burundi 2025 is that all the above mentioned problems will soon find solutions and Burundi will still belong to those who are optimistic and who believe in the beauty of the dream. After twelve years, we will look back and say that we have made progress but those who are pessimistic will never experience the beauty of the dream. The strong pillar to sustain this dream is the Youth. ‘’Tell me the youth you have I will tell you the people you be.’’ Young Burundians are the potential leaders, heads of families, strong pastors, Priests, Consultants, Doctors, engineers, Professors, experts etc. who will be playing a big role in our lovely country, Burundi.