BUJUMBURA, March 18th (ABP) – Leaders are called upon to lead for everyone without exception, regardless of ethnicity or party affiliation. This was announced by the President of the Republic, Evariste Ndayishimiye, during the Sunday prayer service he attended with his wife, alongside Christians of the Vision of Jesus Christ Church, on Sunday, March 16, 2025, in the Cibitoke zone, Bujumbura City Council.
In his speech, President Ndayishimiye emphasized that Burundi has put God first and expressed his gratitude to see that churches and political parties currently cohabit peacefully, which shows that Burundi is a united family. He called for all Burundians to cultivate unity, emphasizing that this is of paramount importance and that ethnic divisions must be avoided.
He encouraged Christians to pray for leaders because they are the ones God has chosen to lead them. He added that leaders must work hard and recognize that true leadership has no ethnicity, family, or political party, but simply embodies the nation and leadership. For him, in Burundi there is neither a Hutu nor a Tutsi president, but rather, only one president, because there is no Hutu or Tutsi language.
Returning to the inter-ethnic conflicts that have plunged the country into mourning, President Ndayishimiye stated that, in his view, all Burundians have lost because they have killed each other even though they are one people. He advised Burundians to adopt the custom, to teach their children their mother tongue and other languages that will help them read different writings.
On the issue of the Batwa community, President Ndayishimiye affirmed that he will do everything possible to ensure that the Batwa are also considered Burundians.