Quotes about Burundi

John Prendergast

I spent a lot of time with President Mandela supporting his efforts in the peace process in Burundi. The thing that impressed me the most was his humility.

Pierre Buyoya

Democracy is possible, but we have to reinvent our democracy … that would take into account our culture and experience, our social and political reality. We have to adapt democracy to what we are.

Sylvere Nimpagaritse

If we did not give the third term a green light, we were going to be in for trouble. We had convened earlier on April 30, as judges of the constitutional court to look at the provisions of the law, the Constitution and the Arusha Peace Accord to ascertain if indeed Nkurunziza was eligible to stand for another term in office and we found that he did not qualify for one. We went home with a plan of returning the next day to sign the decision, but that same evening all judges started receiving threatening phone calls. On May 1, feeling threatened, the judges decided to sign a document clearing Nkurunziza to seek another term

The strongman president, barred from a 3rd 5 year term by the Burundi Constitution, came up with an absurd argument as to why the limit should not apply to him. When the Supreme Court would not go along with the scheme, he threatened them and finally they all reversed their previous opinion and voted to allow it—all except for Nimpagaritse who did not sign the reversal, but was no longer safe. Although the President tried to arrest him, he escaped over the border and went inti exile.

Nelson Mandela

Please, join the modern world.

Norbert Ndihokubwayo

Family planning is the only exit point of the land problem. No other solution is possible.

In Burundi, family land is divided among the male children of a family. The average Burundian woman has 6.3 children, nearly triple the international fertility rate. With this fertility rate, the plots of land for each person inevitably get smaller and smaller over time. At 10,745 square miles, Burundi is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maryland, but it holds nearly twice as many people: about 10 million. The small plots of land are inefficient to farm and provide subsistence. So the nation was in a crises as there was little industrialization and land was essential for existence for most Burundians. See {35808} and {35809}.

Placide Hakizimana

Without land, we are condemned to death. No one will accept that. Families will fight. We prefer to die rather than live without land.

In Burundi, family land is divided among the male children of a family. The average Burundian woman has 6.3 children at that time, nearly triple the international fertility rate. With this population growth rate, the plots of land for each person inevitably get smaller and smaller over time. At 10,745 square miles, Burundi is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maryland, but it holds nearly twice as many people: about 10 million. The small plots of land are inefficient to farm and provide subsistence. So the nation was in a crises as there was little industrialization and land was essential for existence for most Burundians. See {35807} and {35808}.

Andre Florian

If nothing happens, if we just keep doing what we're doing, tomorrow is not certain. We will see families killing each other. We will see chaos in the country. The day after tomorrow will disappear.... The next civil war in Burundi will absolutely be over land.

Thomas P. Melady

Only external authority—the United Nations—can bring about the necessary arrangements to prevent both communities from killing one another.

Discussing the inter tribal killings in Burundi:

Burundi Quotes