Burundi: president Nkurunziza gets humiliated

The administrator of Kiremba and his deputy in charge of the sport were locked up for “conspiracy against the head of the State” at the end of last week.

Their fault: having “allowed” President Pierre Nkurunziza to be physically abused during a football match that took place on February 3 in the commune in northern Burundi.

We do not laugh with Pierre Nkunrunziza’s shins.

On February 3, the president’s team, Alleluia FC, face the Kiremba club.

Kiremba, for the occasion, recruited some players among the Congolese refugees from the Musasa camp.

The Congolese, a lèse-majesté crime, repeatedly attacked Pierre Nkurunziza, who was then shot in the foot, and even dropped him.

The administrator of Kiremba, Cyriaque Nkézabahizi, and his deputy in charge of sport, Michel Mutama, were therefore imprisoned for “conspiracy against the head of state” late last week.

They were imprisoned in Ngozi Prison, 130 km north of Bujumbura.

The rules are known to all: when the president is in possession of the ball, no opponent must approach him within three meters.

And he must score a goal, or at least be at the origin of a decisive action.

But Congolese footballers did not know these good manners.

On the pitch, the order is clear: the opposing team can equalize against Alleluia FC, but it must absolutely let the president score before the final whistle.

A referee warned a rival team and said: “If you do not let his Excellency score the goal, you will play until tomorrow.”

For Nkunrunziza, the round ball is a religion, he spends half of his time there.

In 2015, while some streets of the capital are littered with corpses , he runs after a balloon.