Burundi’s newly elected president Evariste Ndayishimiye was sworn in on Thursday, after the sudden death of his predecessor who left him an isolated nation in political and economic turmoil.
Ndayishimiye was elected in May in a vote disputed by the opposition but affirmed by the courts, and was meant to take office in August, however the inauguration was sped up after his predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza’s death.
- ‘A dark and sad legacy’ –
Nkurunziza, a devout evangelical who believed he was chosen by God to lead Burundi, leaves a “dark and sad legacy,” Carina Tertsakian of the Burundi Human Rights Initiative told AFP.
After the news of Nkurunziza’s death Ndayishimiye vowed to “continue his high-quality work that he has done for our country”.
A source in the French presidency said the country would work with its European partners and “extend a hand to the new Burundian president”.
