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| Pacquiao - Mayweather (Image Source) |
Like a rumble in the jungle or the thriller in Manila, this time it's going down in Burundi! I'm not talking about the legendary battle between Mohammed ‘The Greatest' Ali and ‘Smokin Joe’ Frazier that took place on the 1st of October, 1975 for the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship in the Philippines - by the way, that National ASSembly fight yesterday was shameful. I am not speaking of the third and final matchup of a bitter rivalry between two prolific boxers that is largely regarded as one of the greatest fights in the history of the sport - fortunately, nobody got knocked out in yesterday’s imbroglio unlike in the 2013 Rivers State House of Assembly incident. Their final fight was tagged ‘The Thriller in Manila’ because Ali promised the world a “Killa and a thrilla and a chilla, when I get that gorilla in Manilla”. Mohammed Ali won only by a Technical Knock-Out. Boxing was once a big time sport, bigger than even soccer, and only Floyd ‘Money Man’ Mayweather Jr. and Manny ‘The Pac-man’ Pacquiao have seen the game return to its glory in recent times but enough of that, let’s get down to business.
At some point during this past week, I decided to ask people, randomly of course, for their opinion on the current debacle in Burundi. The responses I received ranged from outright funny to downright offhanded and I have picked just two out of the lot that are, in my opinion, a representation of the entire pool. Listen to what they had to say:
“Why do people behave like that, why won’t the man just step down?” – Mrs Tanzania
And
“Nobody is bothered jare, Burundi is far away” – Mr Mali
These two replies are in a manner of speaking at opposing ends, one of utter care and the other of utter carelessness, and the others can be fit snugly somewhere in-between. Now, as cold as Mr Mali's response was, he has a point. How many of us really care about 'far away' Burundi, isn’t it just another wonderland? I strongly believe that an ‘Alice’ and some magic rabbits would be much more tangible to a good number of us than a little country of less than 10 million people somewhere in East or Central Africa - even Wikipedia hasn’t decided on an official location yet.
What do you and I really know about Burundi? Honestly, I only knew it was a country somewhere at the ‘other side’ of Africa before I googled it. However, after getting to know its history better, I have come to the conclusion that one of the greatest losers of the First World War was and still remains this landlocked African country. I do not believe I have seen the story of many other nations that are painted with as much blood - it is definitely not a wonderland. The Republic of Burundi is located in Africa’s Great Lakes Region and is bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo - I like to call the DRC ‘Dr. Congo’. Its capital is Bujumbura and its major tribes; Hutu - 85%, Tutsi - 14% and Twa - 1%, have been in that region for more than 500 years.
So, what is this ‘Third Term Thriller’ that has Burundi looking like the boundless boxing battlefield of 1975 Manila? Is it the fact that the country is presently running a presidential democratic republic or the fact that Burundi is one of the five poorest countries in the world? No, far from it. Is it the fact that Burundi is the world’s hungriest country - according to the global hunger index - or the fact that the country has suffered from the usual African plague of corruption, warfare and poor access to education? No, not at all. The reason for the spotlight on this African nation that shares boarders with Lake Tangayika is the April 2015 protests - and the failed May 13th Coup - that broke out after the ruling party, CNDD-FDD, announced that President Pierre Nkurunziza would be seeking a third term in office. President Pierre Nkurunziza is the son of a Tutsi mother and a Hutu father. He was raised in the Ngozi region of Northern Burundi and was formerly a Leader of a Hutu Rebel group.
[Back Story]: Burundi was initially run by Germany in the early 20th century but after the Germans lost World War I, Belgium took over and ruled Burundi and Rwanda as Ruanda-Urundi. It is rumoured that the Belgian takeover exacerbated social differences between the Tutsi and Hutu and this may be part of the cause of the long tales of violence. The Belgians are alleged to have classified the people according to the number of cows that they owned - Tutsi; more than 10 cows and Hutu; less than 10 cows. The Hutu and Tutsi have been having what I call a long standing family feud, characterised by assassinations, counter assassinations, mass killings and reprisal mass killings. More than 250,000 people - 2.5% of its current population - have been laid to waste since the early 20th century according to reports and speculations.
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[Back to Mr I want a Third Term] Why don’t Africans have the spirit of letting go, why can’t we just let go!? The people have said we don’t want you, you have ruled enough! Why won’t you just go away? Has the country become your father’s property or is it that the people are now cows and they belong to you? If for nothing else, for the sake of peace step aside and let other people contest for the seat - you are not the only person that is capable of doing the job. In fact, let me borrow the words of @KobokoGCFR, “In 2007, many of us had no idea who Fashola was…” and finish by quoting @CJ_Awele “…but today in 2015 we all praise Uncle Fash for his good works.” In my opinion, President Pierre Nkurunziza is trying to ascend to the ungodly status of Dictator but I humbly ask that he humbly descend from his imaginary throne because there are many unknown men and women in Burundi that can get the job done.
Nigerians have also had the experience of a president pushing for a third term, former President Olusegun Obasanjo attempted the push but we failed him in that exam. Burundians are now protesting but the country’s constitutional court has ‘agreed’ with President Pierre's claim to run although some of the members of that court had fled the country at the time of the vote - then who voted, sheep?. Now then, I turn to you. Why are we not lending our voices to the Burundians on the streets calling for decency? We have to learn something called solidarity in this country and on this continent. We are always quick to jump out to chant and shout for America but what of Africa eh, what of Burundi? *sheds tear* But seriously, we need to stand up for our own!
In this matchup of Man that refuses to leave office against The People, a lot of negative inter-tribal sentiment is being whipped up and so, as an African, I move for the motion that President Nkurunziza step aside before a repeat of the 1972 and 1993 Burundi genocides occur. I honestly cannot comprehend this ‘I will not go’ attitude of African politicians. To me, it is just like forcing cassette tape and kerosene lantern on the world, we don’t want - carry go! No man is greater than any other man, whether you were born a king or a prince your ambitions are not worth a single pauper’s life in my book. So Dear President Nkurunziza, please do the needful…let go!
Kind regards,
The House-33 Revolutionary.
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| President Pierre Nkurunziza (Image Source) |
P.S. I know that you know that I was going to mention this any moment from now. I am talking about the very stupid rapid dog that recently bit 9 black people inside a church in Charleston, USA. What do we normally do with rabid dogs? We put them down! However, due to the fact that this stupid beast is not a regular canine and more importantly because I believe all life is precious no matter how stupid its owner, I suggest the dumb animal be locked up in a very small prison, far smaller than what Nelson Mandela was put in at the now infamous Robben Island Prison, preferably a few hundred feet underground (The dumb pile of horse crap!). Do not kill a man to show that killing is wrong and in the words of Mahatma Ghandi “An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”
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