Regional Leaders were too Dirty to Do Anything about Burundi
This is how it all happened.
Tanzania was in support of Burundi (always Burundi has been in the ambit of
Tanzania for obvious reasons). Remember when Rwanda was supporting a coup in
Burundi, it is Tanzania that transported President Nkurunziza from Dar es Salaam
back to the country through a panya route? There is reason Kikwete and later
Magufuli kept silent. Rwanda has never and may never be friendly to a Hutu-led
Burundi because of the shared complex history and painful Hutu and Tutsi relations. Kagame had to meddle in Burundi and attempt regime change
by supporting some preferred Burundian refugees and opposition figures to try a
coup (a report is out and the Kigali administration has not contradicted it).
Uganda could not do anything because it simply lacked the moral authority. You
cannot possibly scold Nkurunziza for wanting to seek a third term when you are
in the 6th or 7th (or God knows which one which term) yourself. Yoweri
Museveni had reason to keep his mouth shut. In neighboring DRC, Joseph Kabila
was busy crafting something not so different from Nkurunzia's, and he had every
reason to be as remote as possible lest he wakes up those sleeping! Nairobi had
every reason to remain quiet since Uhuru Kenyatta was emerging from a bruising
battle with the ICC. After all, what is a third term in comparison with someone
accused of committing crimes against humanity? Kenyatta did not have the moral
ground to question Nkurunziza's quest for a third term and he had mounted a
campaign against the ICC on sovereignty grounds; how could he then erode
Burundi's sovereignty? I do not believe anyone thinks Salvar Kirr had anything
to say about Burundi given his own predicament (perhaps worse than Burundi's).
Juba had to remain as though it did not exist. So who, in the region, would
intervene in Burundi? And you still wonder how Nkurunziza survived and is
actually thriving? They were making noise about third term, I bet he is going
for the fourth, fifth ...etc
Regional Leaders were too Dirty to Do Anything about Burundi
Reviewed by Ibrahim Magara
on
May 08, 2017
Rating:

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