Pierre Nkurinziza.
Photo credit: US Dept of State in Wikipedia.

By Tunde Asaju

The Chairman of the National Council for the Defence of Democracy, and life president of Burundi, Pierre Nkurinziza is dead.

He came into office in 2005 and has ruined his country into accepting him as the eternal leader. An incredibly repressive man with a megalomanic hold on power, Nkurinziza was known to make his opponents disappear and to hunt down critics.

A keen footballer, he was the founder of Hallelujah FC football club in which he frequently played. It was okay to play against him, provided you were not wearing shoes and tackling him on the field was an unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit of which he was the keen abstraction.

Nkurunziza ran his country with an iron fist, imposing ‘born again’ rules not dictated by the Bible but as He the Supreme Commander saw fit. He violently repressed religion except the one he approves. 

He was admitted two days ago in hospital after ‘feeling unwell’ and died a few hours ago of heart attack. Survived by his wife and five children, Nkurunziza is also survived by eight (8) first vice presidents, and five second vice presidents. His brand of democracy is unique to him. 

It was widely believed that he would have left office only if he died there. Nature has obliged him that wish.

So, while keeping your eyes on events foisted on the world by the assassination of #GeorgeFloydFloyd, keep an eye out for events in #Burundi where it is expected to be bloody.

The world is better with people like Nkurunziza out of it. But it doesn’t always seem too apparent.

May his country find the peace denied it with his presence. He was only 55.

N.B. The now late  ‘Supreme Guide to Patriotism’ was billed to retire to opulence in August. Most observers of his politics doubt he wouldn’t have spurred a surprise or an excuse to stay on. It’ll now be long nights and long knives for a war and despotism ravaged Burundi. 

-Tunde Asaju writes from Ottawa, Canada