- Introduction: What is ABISEZERANO
ABISEZERANO is a Burundian political movement which encompasses Burundians of all ethnic groups, determined to work diligently together in order to help Burundi recover the kind of development that reaches the people of all walks of life, and to achieve lasting peace and security for all. Like Francoise Giroud, we are convinced that » any revolt that springs out of force of arms can be put down, but those revolts that are born out of the spirit spread like wildfire and become inextinguishable”. The armed wing of the movement is strongly opposed to any form of discrimination whether it be: ethnic, political, religious, regional or otherwise. It aspires to be the unifier of all Burundians.
In order to regain the lost peace and stability, the ABISEZERANO Movement encourages all citizens to return the pristine moral and religious values that used to characterize the Nation of Burundi, because, as Martin Luther King Jr. said « Darkness cannot chase darkness; only light can achieve that. Hatred cannot chase hatred, only love can do that. Violence leads to more violence, and tenacity leads to more tenacity. » The ABISEZERANO Movement draws inspiration from this universal truth stated in the 1963 speech by Martin Luther King Jr; Strength to Love, and the movement also believes, like Nelson Madiba Mandela, that » since people are taught to hate, in a like manner, they can be taught to love, because love touches the human heart more naturally that its opposite. »
- Preamble to the creation of the movement
-Based on the Constitution of the Republic of Burundi;
-Based on the funding document of the ABISEZERANO Movement of the February 15, 2014;
-Considering the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance;
-Mindful of the fact that since our country’s independence in July 1962, Burundi has gone through several crises as a result of political and ethnic violence that took the lives of hundreds of thousands of our citizens among the civilian population and the security forces, especially those of the years 1965, 1966, 1972, 1988, 1993-2002 and even today;
-Fully aware of the attempts to sabotage the Peace and Reconciliation Accords for Burundi;
-Mindful of the fact that Burundian Authorities have always ignored or outright violated the fundamental documents that govern the Republic of Burundi, and therefore rendered themselves guilty of several crimes such as murder, rape, false imprisonment, torture and targeted assassinations and extrajudicial executions, arbitrary incarcerations and many more human rights abuses;
-Aware of the extreme narrowing of the political space, and the lack of fundamental freedoms;
-Aware of the fact that these crises keep plunging Burundi into a perpetual state of political, economic and social instability as well as a deteriorating security situation;
-Mindful of the fact that the current behaviour of the Burundian Authorities has isolated Burundi from the rest of the world, which resulted in a state of abject poverty for the common people;
-Resolved to create conditions in our country that are propitious to a holistic development in all areas of the national life to usher a new era of prosperity and make Burundi the land of honey and milk that she is destined to become;
-Focused firmly on finding a permanent solution to the political crisis that has plagued our country for way too long, with the aim to establish peace for all our citizens;
We, peace-loving citizens of Burundi, resolved to regain the lost peace and stability for our country, Burundi, have decided to create this movement named ABISEZERANO.
We, sons and daughters of Burundi, descendants of parents from different ethnic groups: hutu, twa, tutsi, and ganwa, we are all Burundian brothers and sisters, We all constitute the Nation of Burundi and we are all weary of the oppression and misery stemming from recurring criminal eruptions of violence taking place in the country since its independence, which in turn result in recurring periods of political crises. The crimes at the basis of the multiple Burundian crises are rooted in different forms of discrimination, dictatorship, utter disregard for human life, corruption and economic mismanagement, which have characterised various Burundian leaders. These leaders have used a perpetual divide and conquer develop a tactic to achieve their nefarious political objectives based on self-serving attitude instead of serving the people who depend on their leadership.
Notwithstanding the divisive tactics of political leaders, we are all convinced that, as Burundians of different ethnic, political, religious and regional backgrounds, we are God’s chosen people. As such, we recognise that we are called upon to right past wrongs and wash away past stains, by transforming our nation into a paradise on earth, and by establishing durable peace for all on our Burundian land, which is the Almighty God’s gift to all of us.
To achieve this goal we are all called upon to take action in order to end all forms of oppression. We can’t just stand on the sideline and idly watch our county being torn apart by division because » remaining neutral in the face of injustice is to take the side of the oppressor », as Bishop Desmond Tutu put it. It is with that noble cause (of ending divisive oppression) in mind that the ABISEZERANO Movement was born.
Owing to the security dangers emanating from the multitude of negative forces roaming around in the Great Lakes of African, particularly in Burundi, the ABISEZERANO Movement deemed it necessary to constitute its armed branch, composed of honourable men and women, professionally trained to safeguard the safety and national interests of the Burundian people. This armed branch will guarantee that our nation is freed from any form of discrimination.
The ABISEZERANO Movement, along with its armed forces were created on February 15, 2014 in Bujumbura. The movement’s motto is: God, Burundi, The Promise keepers (Abisezerano).
3 Vision
To put an end to the cycle of recurrent crises drowning the country into an uncertain future, the ABISEZERANO Movement has a clear vision of how to make Burundi a better place for everyone to live in peace and harmony:
The ABISEZERANO Movement is geared towards reconstruction of:
– Burundi, as a country where human dignity and all human rights are respected
-a peaceful, democratic and prosperous country (free of all forms of discrimination, injustice, corruption and economic mismanagement),
-a county with good diplomatic relations with both regional and international communities
- Objectives
The main objectives of the ABISEZERANO Movement is the liberation of Burundi and all her citizens from all forms of oppression and discrimination so that they can work for their prosperity and enjoy the fruit of their labour in peace and security.
The liberation must be applicable to residents of all ethnic, regional, religious and political backgrounds over the whole national territory as follows:
- Global objective:
The ABISEZERANO Movement is determined to liberate the Burundian people from any form of enslavement by a compatriot or a foreign entity, by helping all the citizens to enjoy the promise that God the Creator has made to the Burundian people, to wit: integral development, human dignity, sovereignty and spiritual awakening.
- Specific objectives
- Reaching God’s promise of prosperity to Burundian people though love and respect of God Almighty, without any distinction of religion, or any creation of religious sects.
- Expansion of patriotism and promotion of the national language to enhance the dignity of our countrymen and nurture the Kirundi as an official language alongside the other languages (French, English, Kiswahili).
- Protection of the Burundian territorial integrity of to shield our country from all forms of aggression (foreign or domestic).
- The promotion of a policy of lasting peace for the whole nation, for each citizen and every person residing on Burundian territory.
- The implementation of an all-inclusive development plan for every citizen and everywhere in on the national territory. That plan will be based on the creation and promotion of various industries, access to electricity and other energy sources for everyone, access to clean drinking water and decent sanitation, the protection of the environment, the promotion of human habitat, job creation and promotion of investment and various economic activities.
- Strengthening of democratic values, high emphasis on good governance, as well as the implementation of an independent and credible judiciary system.
- Adherence to the highest standard with regards to the respect of universal human rights.
- Achieve a lasting national reconciliation by bringing to justice all those responsible for massacres and other atrocities recorded in Burundian history from 1961, 1965, 1969, 1972, 1988, 1993 and 2015 and any new crimes occurring in the country at the present time.[1]
- The reunification of all movements and political parties that believe in the promise of a better Burundi and whose sole purpose is to safeguard national interest of the Burundian people.
- Ideology
The Movement’s ideology is inspired by Burundians of all ethnic backgrounds who lost their lives defending the interests of the people of Burundi in a sincere and pragmatic manner. Among the victims who stood up to uplift the Burundian nation, we can cite:
- Prince Louis Rwagasore
- Prime Minister Pierre Ngendandumwe
- Political leader Remy Gahutu
- President Melchior Ndadaye
- President Cyprien Ntaryamira
Until today no one has ever launched any thorough investigation into the circumstances of the crimes that bereaved the Burundian people of these heroes. Even state institutions that should have sought justice for the families of these innocent victims have consistently remained silent on these crimes. This state condoned impunity has plunged the country in a state of perpetual political crisis from our country’s independence to this day. Lack of justice has been the source of instability for the population who fled to neighbouring countries or those who were internally displaced. This situation has had serious repercussions, not only on the economic wellbeing of these families but also on the welfare of the whole nation.
The reality described by Martin Luther King in his famous quote on violence can be found in Burundi:
« Violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones. Violence is impractical because it is a downwards spiral ending in destruction for all. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding: it seeks to annihilate rather than convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys community and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue. Violence ends up defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers. »
- Governing structures
The ABISEZERANO Movement has established its representatives from the small village to the national level, by way of zone, municipal and provincial. These structures cover the security domain (Defence forces and Police), the spiritual and the political domain. Each of these areas is led by a Coordinator on both national and international levels.
-The Security Forces Coordinator works with the Defence Chief of General Staff and the General Commissioner of the Police;
-The Political Coordinator is in charge of ensuring the good functioning of all organs dealing with political activities both inside and outside the country on a day to day basis. He assigns tasks to other services such as ideology, sensitization, mobilization and management.
-The Spiritual Coordinator is in charge of all spiritual activities; spiritual counselling, religious beliefs, prophecies, religious teachings, the collaboration with other churches and religious organizations, conduct and moral practices; and other matters related to spirituality, beliefs and morality.
-The General Coordinator supervises the activities of all three structures: Security, Political and Spiritual. He is supported by the movement’s Council of the Wise.
- Movement’s symbols
- The slogan
As we previously mentioned, the ABISEZERANO Movement’s slogan is: IMANA-UBURUNDI-AMASEZERANO in French: DIEU-LA PATRIE (BURUNDI)-LE PEUPLE (ABISEZERANO) in English: GOD- FATHERLAND (BURUNDI)- THE PROMISE KEEPERS (ABISEZERANO).
- The salute
The Salute is: AMAHORO-SHALOM
Or May peace be with you! This is said by raising the right hand in the air generally, more naturally than the Burundians do in their ordinary habits or by shaking hands.
- The Coat of arms, the logo
The logo is made of:
-a rifle and sword crossed which symbolizes the power to conquer and maintain peace,
-on both side of the circle there is a harmer which symbolized development based on labour
-a book that symbolized holy scriptures and laws such as the Bible, the Quran, the National Constitution or the Burundian Code.
-These two symbols are between olive branches which symbolized development and progress
-a yellow Star which symbolizes the Burundian belief in as promise that God made to the Burundian people of turning their country into a promise land, a land of honey and milk. The Movement’s logo is also its seal in which case it is made of one colour.
- The flag
The flag of the ABISEZERANO Movement is made of Red Black and Green.
-Red symbolizes that all Burundians will inherit a truly independent country after a long period of suffering due to the recurring crisis that plagued the country. This colour symbolizes the pain and suffering endured by the Nation of Burundi, the killings and all the blood of the innocent Burundians, and the misery of the refugee camps and displaced people.
-Green symbolizes hope, meaning that even if the Burundian nation is going through all kinds of strife and tribulations, she has faith in a bright future, faith in a permanent peace and prosperity for all
-Black symbolizes the dark periods that the Burundian nation faced all throughout its history; famine, bloody conflicts, diseases, social conflicts, and other cases of pain and suffering.
The flag is inside a white ribbon, which symbolizes the Promise that God Almighty gave to the Burundian People.
- Financial resources
The ABISEZERANO Movement is sustained by its membership fees, inheritances, donations and subsidies (when they will become available) and any other form of income-generating activities.
- Contacts:
Anyone can contact the movement by sending an email to: abisezerano@gmail.com or using WhatsApp with the numbers that are available on the movement’s website
The Movement has a website and two online Radios: Radio Isezerano FM and Radio Isezerano International
The Movement’s General Coordinator is Dr. Dusengumuremyi Merlin
Email: dusengumuremyimerlin@gmail.com
May God Bless Burundi!
[1] The reconciliation process should include the restitution of belongings and properties of the victim families to their rightful owners, comforted and compensation to the widows and the orphans and the right of return of all refugees and internally displaced persons to their properties and their families. In order to heal the deep wounds in the heart of the Burundian people, various national heroes’ monuments must be erected to commemorate the lives of all who perished as a result of different massacres. A commemorative day will be instituted to remember those compatriots who perished in the violence, especially those who were buried in mass graves, Also the remains of Burundian dignitaries who died in exile should be brought back and receive proper burial, namely politicians, parliamentarians, members of the security forces and other dignitaries.
Ihanga ry Imana 