10 Things You Didn’t Know About Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza

Jean Pierre Nkurunziza was elected president of Burundi, in 2005, after a decade-long war that had torn the country apart. He led the Eastern Africa nation to achieving political stability after the civil war. In 2006, he led Burundi to joining the East African Community economic bloc.

Last year, his decision to run for a third term sparked off protests and violence as the opposition and civil society groups condemned the decision. They said it was in violation of the peace accord, signed in 2000 in Tanzania.

Here are eight things about Nkurunzinza:

Sources: BBC, Amnesty International, International Business Times UK, WorldDiplomacy.org, Agence France-Presse, BBC.com, WVI.org,  washingtonpost.com

He is a son of a Hutu Father and Tutsi Mother

His father was a Hutu and his mother, a Tutsi. The two tribes have had long-standing tensions since independence and fought each other in deadly ethnic clashes.Nkurunziza identify himself with the Hutu, which is the majority tribe in the country.

His father and five siblings died in civil wars

His father was a Member of Parliament. He was killed in the 1972 ethnic violence, when Hutus attacked Tutsis. The military responded by carrying out deadly attacks against the Hutus. Shortly after the civil war erupted, two of Nkurunziza’s siblings died in the violence. Three others died while fighting in the CNDD-FDD. Just one sibling, a sister, remains alive today.

He is a former rebel

In 2001, he became the head of Forces for the Defense of Democracy (FDD), the Hutu rebel outfit. He led the Hutu tribe as it battled the Burundi army that was dominated by Tutsis. The civil war was sparked by the assassination of the nations’ first democratically elected president, Melchior Ndadaye, which was blamed on Tutsi extremists.

He is the only president Burundi has had since the civil war

Nkurunziza is the first president to be elected by Burundians since the civil war ended. He was elected in 2005 by the Burundi Parliament. His election was part of the 2000 Arusha Peace Deal that ended the war that had torn apart the country along ethnic lines

His bid for a third term has divided the country’s security forces

Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term caused widespread protest in the tiny east African country. The country’s security forces and the army were divided over this, with the army saying it backs a peace accord that limits leaders to two terms. There were reported cases of country’s police clashing with military officers.

He is known as the ‘Avocado President’

He is a farmer, known for his passion for Avocado fruits. Nkurunziza mostly does avocado planting in his countryside home, alongside other Burundian farmers. Since most Burundians are poor, they can barely afford butter for their bread and use avocado instead, which they have nicknamed “amaPeter”. By choosing to plant Avocados that most Burundians use on a daily basis, Nkurunzinza identifies with the majority of his poor countrymen and women, which has earned him the name the ‘Avocado President’.

He narrowly escaped a death sentence

In 1998, a Burundian court sentenced him to death for his actions while in the leadership of Forces for the Defense of Democracy, the Hutu rebel outfit. He was however granted amnesty as part of the deal that ended the civil war.

He is one of Africa’s youngest leaders

Born in 1963 in Burundi’s capital city of Bujumura, the 50-year-old Nkurunziza is one of Africa’s youngest leaders. Given that many African leaders are a part of entrenched regimes with dictatorial tendencies, Nkurunziza’s democratic election in 2005 is that much more striking, as is his commitment to reconciliation and peace.

Nkurunziza married his wife, Denise Bucumi, in 1994

Nkurunziza and his wife, Denise, have five children together. The Frist Lady of the Republic has become the face of the Child Health Now Campaign, focusing on the fight against child malnutrition and promoting general child well being. The main objectives of the campaign include improved access to maternal and newborn child health services, and prevention of diseases and malnutrition among children under age 5.

He is an avid sports fan and football player

A football player since age 5, Nkurunziza played the sport throughout secondary school and university, and was always one of the best among his peers. While lecturing at Burundi University, he also coached Union Sporting, a first division club side that enjoyed much success under his leadership. Nkurunziza created a soccer academy in 2004 while working as a state minister, allowing hundreds of kids to hone their skills in training facilities across the country.