Presidents Nkurunziza and Museveni lead other participants in the marathon on Independent Street in Bujumbura

By Anthony Bugembe

The solution to Burundi’s problems is democracy and peace, President Yoweri Museveni has said.

Speaking at a rally at Rumonge Commune during his two-day visit to Burundi, Museveni dispelled fears that democracy would make one group dominate the politics of the country.

According to a statement issued from State House, the President said the fears “do not arise since all the Barundi belong to the same mother and share the same interests.”

As part of his state visit, Museveni flagged off the Burundi peace marathon at the Peace House in the capital Bujumbura on Saturday.

Museveni and his host, President Pierre Nkurunziza, also participated in the peace walk from the Independence grounds to Prince Louis Rwagasore stadium.

On Thursday, Museveni presided over the signing of a peace agreement between the Burundian government and the opposition political party, Pelipehutu-FNL (Federation for National Liberation), led by Agathon Rwasa. Museveni is the regional chairperson of the Burundi Peace Initiative.

Under the agreement, the Burundian president undertook to integrate members of the rebel group into government departments.

The signing was witnessed by regional leaders who included Zambian president Rupia Banda, Kenyan vice-president Kalonzo Musyoka and Tanzanian premier Musengo Punda.

Museveni told the rally at Rumonge Commune that if the Burundians consolidated democracy, it would safeguard the interests of all its citizens.

He added that democratic decisions are made by people who are elected.

He gave the history of the peace negotiations that culminated in the signing of the peace agreement.
“He compared Burundi to a mother with three children; Bahutu, Batwa and Tutsi.

He added that a good mother cannot discriminate against her children,” the statement quoted the President as saying, telling the Barundi that “you are children of the same mother, Burundi. You have to live together in harmony.”
Museveni urged them to shun sectarian parties like Pelipehutu.

He explained that this was the reason the constitution banned sectarian parties. But he noted that the Pelipehutu leader, Rwasa, had agreed to disband.

In the communique, the Great Lakes countries declared that Pelipehutu-FNL should remove the name Pelipehutu from the organisation because it has some ethnic connotations in it. With that name, the Pelipehutu-FNL cannot be registered as a party.

Museveni visited a settlement camp for refugees who are returning from Tanzania. The former refugees have been given a plot of land and a house per family.

The President also visited a palm oil project.

Burundi has since 1993 experienced armed conflicts, most of them ethnically-inspired, which have cost the country about 300,000 lives, untold suffering and instability.

The conflicts also displaced hundreds of thousands of people, forcing about 350,000 to flee into Tanzania.