Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye replaced his prime minister and a top aide in a high-level political purge Wednesday after warning of a “coup” plot against him.<\/p>\n
Security minister Gervais Ndirakobuca was sworn in before parliament as new premier, capping a day of high drama in the troubled central African nation.<\/p>\n
He succeeds Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni, who was sacked along with Ndayishimiye’s civilian chief of staff General Gabriel Nizigama in the first major reshuffle at the top since the president took office a little over two years ago.<\/p>\n
The crisis marks a new setback for the Great Lakes nation, which had just begun to recover from a severe crackdown launched by ex-president Pierre Nkurunziza against regime opponents in 2015 that turned Burundi into a pariah state.<\/p>\n
Here is a timeline of events since then:<\/p>\n
In April 2015, thousands of people take to the streets in protest after Nkurunziza, who has been in power for a decade, is declared candidate for a third term by his ruling CNDD-FDD party.<\/p>\n
Police brutally quash the protests which continue for six weeks. At least 1,200 people are killed.<\/p>\n
The opposition says the move to keep Nkurunziza in power is unconstitutional and violates a peace deal that ended a civil war between ethnic Hutus and Tutsis in 2006.<\/p>\n
Nkurunziza, a former Hutu rebel leader, says his first term, which began before the peace deal, does not count as he was elected by parliament, not the people.<\/p>\n
In May 2015, a coup attempt led by a former army chief fails.<\/p>\n
A long list of opposition leaders, journalists, members of civil society and disillusioned ruling party members go into exile.<\/p>\n
In July, Nkurunziza is re-elected but a month later, his right-hand man, General Adolphe Nshimirimana, is killed in a rocket strike.<\/p>\n
In December, at least 87 people are killed in coordinated attacks on military sites that trigger fierce reprisals from the security forces.<\/p>\n
In April 2016, Tutsi general Athanase Kararuza and his wife are killed.<\/p>\n
In July 2016, the United Nations Security Council authorises the deployment of 228 UN police to Burundi but Nkurunziza rejects the resolution.<\/p>\n
A UN probe two months later warns of the risk of “genocide”.<\/p>\n
The following month Burundi announces it will leave the International Criminal Court, which had launched an inquiry into the deadly election chaos.<\/p>\n
In a January 2017 report, Human Rights Watch accuses members of the ruling party’s youth wing, the Imbonerakure, of having killed, tortured and beaten dozens of people.<\/p>\n
In May 2018, Burundian voters approve constitutional reforms that would enable Nkurunziza to rule until 2034.<\/p>\n
But in a surprise announcement, Nkurunziza says the following month that he will not stand in in the next election, due in 2020.<\/p>\n
The ruling party’s candidate, former army general Evariste Ndayishimiye wins May 2020 elections. His main opponent Agathon Rwasa dismisses the result as a sham.<\/p>\n
On June 8, 2020, Nkurunziza dies aged 55 of heart failure, according to the presidency.<\/p>\n
Later that month, former security minister Alain Guillaume Bunyoni is named prime minister and in January 2021, another regime hardliner, Reverien Ndikuriyo, is elected head of the CNDD-FDD.<\/p>\n
In September 2021, the rebel group RED-Tabara claims a mortar attack on the main airport of Burundi’s largest city Bujumbura.<\/p>\n
In October, the UN reports that despite promises by Ndayishimiye to improve the situation, “serious human rights violations continue to be committed”.<\/p>\n
A month later, the United States nonetheless lifts sanctions on Burundi citing “significantly decreased violence”.<\/p>\n
The EU follows suit in February 2022 and both Brussels and Washington resume aid to Burundi.<\/p>\n
In May 2022, Ndayishimiye says he is ready to engage in dialogue with RED-Tabara and the National Forces of Liberation rebel groups.<\/p>\n
On September 7, he sacks his prime minister after warning of a coup plot, and replaces him with interior minister Gervais Ndirakobuca. He also sacks his chief of staff.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The troubled central African country of Burundi was plunged into fresh turmoil on Wednesday when President Evariste Ndayishimiye replaced his prime minister after warning of a “coup” plot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12963,"featured_media":16383,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,15],"tags":[7,26,25],"class_list":{"0":"post-16386","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-politics","9":"tag-apie-project","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-politics"},"yoast_head":"\n