Controversies arise over celebration of week dedicated to former combatants

The ruling party CNDD-FDD celebrates the week dedicated to combatants to pay tribute to the brave fighters who died on the battlefield.

During opening ceremonies which took place this November 12, 2018, the leaders of the party says it is a way of strengthening peace. Evariste Ndayishimiye, Secretary General of the ruling party, says this week is aimed at paying tribute to combatants who lost their lives and reminding all Burundians about the prevailing peace achieved through war. “There are brave people who died not because they were thieves but because they were fighting for peace and democracy. They deserve to be remembered and honored,” he says.

Evariste Ndayishimiye: “There are brave people who sacrificed their lives for peace and democracy”.

Mr. Ndayishimiye also says this is an opportunity to learn how Burundians should live in peace without fighting against one another. “Coming generations have to know about the past and learn from it so as to avoid war in the future,” he says.

He also says this celebration is not for CNDD-FDD party members but for all Burundians and calls on them to combat poverty. “Where there is poverty, there are many possibilities for people to fight each other. This is an opportunity to call Burundians to stay united and work hard so as to eradicate poverty,” says the leader of the ruling party.
Some politicians qualify this celebration as a way of creating division as it excludes some war veterans.

Tatien Sibomana, opposition politician, says this celebration is not necessary as there are other war veterans who are excluded. “There are other combatants who fought either for the national army or rebel groups but only those from the ruling party are remembered. This is a discrimination which causes hate between people instead of reinforcing peace and stability,” he says.

Mr. Sibomana says the celebration of the week dedicated to war combatants should be reorganized and its appellation should be changed. “There should be a day dedicated to army unity because now the Burundian army is made up of former rebels and army soldiers. It could be an opportunity to celebrate unity in the army.” “When CNDD-FDD party remembers its war veterans alone, one wonders whether it is the only party with veterans or it is because it is the ruling party,” he says.

He also says remembering former war combatants for a whole week in a country like Burundi where there are other priorities is not really comprehensible.

The celebration of the week dedicated to former combatants was established in 2004 during an extraordinary congress of members of CNDD-FDD party in Gitega central province.