BURUNDI-POLITICS/PRESIDENT SWEARING IN Burundi’s Nkurunziza sworn in to controversial third term in office

Record ID: 143190

  • Title: BURUNDI-POLITICS/PRESIDENT SWEARING IN Burundi’s Nkurunziza sworn in to controversial third term in office
  • Date: 20th August 2015
  • Summary: BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI (AUGUST 20, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF BURUNDI PRESIDENT ENTERING PARLIAMENT BUILDING VARIOUS OF DEPUTIES NKURUNZIZA WALKING TOWARDS THE PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (French) BURUNDI PRESIDENT, PIERRE NKURUNZIZA, SAYING: "I Pierre Nkurunziza, President of the Republic of Burundi, sworn in faithful to the national charter,
  • Embargoed: 4th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Burundi
  • Country: Burundi
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA86Z1BNQ2Q3ZXL0TVWDCR920JA
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza took oath of office on Thursday (August 20) when he was sworn in for a controversial third term that sparked violent protest where dozens of people have been killed.
    Nkurunziza urged those who fled the country's violent protests caused by his decision to run for a third term to return home.
    He was declared winner of the election held in July, for a third term that both opponents and Western powers said violated the constitution and provisions of a peace deal which ended a 1993-2005 civil war between the Hutu majority and Tutsi minority.
    The United Nations' human rights office said last week that at least 96 people have been killed since the start of election-related violence in April while the U.N.'s refugee agency said more than 181,000 people have fled the country due to violence.
    Nkurunziza swore to uphold the constitution and defend the best interest for the country in front of both parliamentarians and senators.
    "I Pierre Nkurunziza, President of the Republic of Burundi, sworn in faithful to the national charter, to the constitution of the republic of Burundi and to the laws, and commit myself to defend the best interests of the nation and ensure the national unity and peace and social justice and commit myself to combat every ideology and practices of genocide and exclusions, promote and defend individual and collective rights and liberty and safeguard independence of the Republic of Burundi," said Burundi president Pierre Nkurunziza while taking the oath of office.
    He asked those who were still fighting to lay down their arms.
    Adolphe Nshimirimana, the head of the president's security, was gunned down earlier this month and a former head of the army Jean Bikomagu was killed on Saturday.
    Residents of the capital said gunshots and the sound of explosions were heard the night before Nkurunziza's inauguration.
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