Burundi’s president Evariste Ndayishimiye said that he will follow the footsteps of his predecessor the late Pierre Nkurunziza for a United and peaceful Burundi.
The comments came during the commemoration of the one year anniversary since the death of the late president Pierre Nkurunziza in Jun,8 2020.
“Since I met him I saw he was really a brave and a true leader because he fought for Burundian Unity without putting ethnicity at forefront,” said president Evariste Ndayishimiye during the one year anniversary commemorated in Gitega.
President Ndayishimiye vowed to be close to late Nkurunziza’s family at all times, calling on his family to preserve and implement the legacy the country’s former president left behind.
President Pierre Nkurunziza died of cardiac arrest in a hospital in Karuzi province according to the government, thousands of Burundians participated in the commemoration of the first anniversary a day which is now dedicated to be a National Patriotism Day that will be celebrated annually.
“I thank God that he gave me a good husband who leads advised me in everything and he told me every little thing he did and I did also told him mine,” said Denise Nkurunziza the wife of late president Nkurunziza.
Nkurunziza’s death shocked the country as he was seen two days earlier participating in a volley ball match, by then the country had already elected its new president (Evariste Ndayishimiye), however late Nkurunziza died falling short two months before the end of his term.
President Nkurunziza took over power in 2005 and was set to end his 15 years in power few months before his death last year.
“We Tanzanians are committed to strengthen the ties with Burundi through trade and infrastructure projects which we are already partnering,” said Tanzania’s Vice President Philip Mpango while in Gitega during the commemoration.
Burundi government said that a center for patriotism education will be built near the tomb of the late president in the country’s capital Gitega.