Evariste Ndayishimiye was on Thursday sworn in three months earlier as Burundi’s next President after the sudden death of his predecessor – Pierre Nkurunziza who dies two weeks ago.
Ndayishimiye was elected in May in an election that was disputed by the opposition and was meant to take office in August this year, however, his inauguration was quickly done after the President’s seat was left vacant following the death of the former president.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at Ingoma stadium in the country’s administrative capital Gitega.
Before his death, his predecessor ruled the east African country for 15 years and has left it as an isolated nation in political and economic turmoil.
Nkurunziza’s run for the third term in office sparked protests and a failed coup, with violence that left at least 1,200 people dead while 400,000 people leaving the country.
According to the reports by the United Nations human rights investigators, since 2015, Burundi was marked by likely crimes against humanity committed by state forces, citing extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, disappearances, and torture.
Ndayishimiye a former army general as well as a Hutu rebel a quality he shares with his predecessor was handpicked by the ruling party – CNDD-FDD to run in the May 20 presidential elections.
He won the elections with 68.7 percent votes and the bid by the opposition to overturn the results due to alleged fraud was overturned by the court days before the death of Nkurunziza.
The new Burundi President is known to be more tolerant and open compared to his predecessor.
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Observers have the view that the death Nkurunziza would be a silver lining for Ndayishimiye and will give him more independence during his reign.
Ndayishimiye will still have to please the powerful group of generals who are the heart of the ruling party who chose him to take from where Nkurunziza left.
The new head of state vowed to continue the high-quality work that his predecessor did for the country.
The change in the presidency also provides an opportunity for warmer ties with the country’s foreign donors who withdrew from helping the country after the 2015 crisis.
Sources have indicated the European nations will partner and extend a hand to the new Burundian president.
The government of Burundi has however yet to announce a date for Nkurunziza’s funeral.
