BUJUMBURA December 19th (ABP) – Burundi’s defense and security forces organized in Bujumbura on December 18, 2018, ceremonies of exchanging best wishes with the presidential couple, which coincided with the 54th birthday of the Burundian Head of State, Mr. Pierre Nkurunziza, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
In his speech, the Head of State said that to date, Burundians and foreigners living in Burundi go about their daily activities thanks to the defense and security forces that spare no effort to keep peace and security throughout the country. He thanked both bodies for the way they sacrificed in the maintenance of order and security during this year and gave them a rating of 97%.
According to the Head of State, the day was an opportunity for those bodies to self-evaluate and see the prospects for the coming year.
After thanking the two bodies for having contributed in the protection of the environment by planting trees as part of the “Ewe Burundi urambaye” project, the Head of State gave them pieces of advice. He asked them to develop solidarity spirit, be disciplined and impartial, to be wary of people who could induce them into politics or acts of barbarism.As for the case raised concerning the problem between the National Social Security Institute (INSS) and the Mutual Civil Service (MFP), he called on the respective Ministers responsible for security and national defense to sit together with the Ministers in charge of the INSS and the MFP to find, within four months, solutions to the issues that are between the two institutions and their affiliates.
“You must respect one another, fight against bad teachings, fight against corruption, and be the eye and ear of the country’s leaders,” he said.
As for the permanent secretary at the Ministry of National Defense and Veterans Affairs (MDNAC) and the Minister in charge of Security, they all indicated that during the year 2018, security was generally good throughout the territory of Burundi.
On his part, the Minister of Public Security and Disaster Management, Mr. Alain Guillaume Bunyoni, nevertheless recalled that there was a terrorist attack in Ruhagarika, Buganda commune, in Cibitoke province, which took away the lives of 26 people. He said the security forces, in collaboration with other bodies, were able to dismantle criminal groups where even grenades, bombs and military and police items were seized. In addition, thousands of liters of prohibited drinks were dumped and fields of hemp destroyed, he added.
Still talking about the achievements, Mr. Bunyoni reported that in the framework of environmental protection, the national police planted 360,000 trees under the “Ewe Burundi urambaye” project, in addition to a million more that they planted in Ngozi province, in collaboration with the administration. He noted, however, that his ministry faced challenges related to finances, materials, and the so on.
Looking forward to 2019, Bunyoni said his ministry will continue to grow tree nurseries, plant more than three million trees, and set up two squadrons to monitor and control traffic.
The permanent secretary at MDNAC said that in terms of security, gangs of armed bandits were destroyed and dismantled in Cibitoke province, especially on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition, he pointed out that many laws have been revised and that there has been a demarcation of military properties and areas. There have been raids in different military areas as well as capacity-building or development sessions, he said. MDNAC planted 680,000 trees as part of the “Ewe Burundi urambaye” project, he said, noting that the Ministry encounters challenges related to finance, law, technology, social, to name but a few. He raised the case of the MFP which does not arrange its affiliates properly, and that of the INSS, where he asked that there be the removal of dues.
Regarding the future, the Permanent Secretary at MDNAC announced that their ministry plans to develop additional tree nurseries and build a six-storey building at Kamenge Military Hospital over a three-year period for the surgery department.
