Burundi: can newly-elected president Ndayishimiye deliver change?

The document examines the 2020 Burundian election, which saw Evariste Ndayishimiye win with 68% of the vote despite allegations of fraud from the opposition and the Catholic Church. It highlights the president's need to balance internal CNDD-FDD party factions, specifically between the military generals who supported him and his predecessor, Pierre Nkurunziza. The author notes severe national crises, including a 74% poverty rate, massive displacement of people, and a destroyed professional middle class. The text argues that the African Union should engage with the new administration to encourage the restoration of civil society and media freedoms.

• The 2020 election results gave CNDD-FDD candidate Evariste Ndayishimiye 68% of the vote, while rival Agathon Rwasa received 24%, with a reported turnout of 90%. However, the results are contested by Rwasa and the Catholic Church, the latter of which claims its sample of observers at roughly 20% of polling stations is enough to doubt the outcome.
• President Ndayishimiye faces a difficult internal political balancing act between the military generals who supported his candidacy and his predecessor, Pierre Nkurunziza, who remains influential as the Supreme Guide of Patriotism.
• Burundi suffers from extreme socio-economic distress, characterized by a 74% poverty level, making it the third poorest country globally. Additionally, over 350,000 people have fled to neighboring countries and 110,000 are internally displaced.
• The CNDD-FDD government has maintained a hostile relationship with international bodies, including the UN, African Union, and EAC, and has specifically expelled four senior World Health Organisation officials for criticizing its COVID-19 response.
• The ruling party utilizes the Imbonerakure youth militia to threaten violent reprisals against critics of the government to maintain control.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2020). Burundi: can newly-elected president Ndayishimiye deliver change? https://saiia.org.za/research/burundi-can-newly-elected-president-ndayishimiye-deliver-change/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Burundi: can newly-elected president Ndayishimiye deliver change? 2020. https://saiia.org.za/research/burundi-can-newly-elected-president-ndayishimiye-deliver-change/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Burundi: can newly-elected president Ndayishimiye deliver change? |date=3 June 2020 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/burundi-can-newly-elected-president-ndayishimiye-deliver-change/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2020burundi, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Burundi: can newly-elected president Ndayishimiye deliver change?}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/burundi-can-newly-elected-president-ndayishimiye-deliver-change/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }