Burundi’s president Evariste Ndayishimiye while addressing the public in the country’s capital Gitega, during the Independence Day celebrations called on Germany to support the development of the country’s new capital Gitega.
“Tell them (German authority) to come and build in this city they were the first to name it a capital they stayed here and there is no any structure that reflects their presence so they should at least leave a mark of where they passed,” said President Evariste Ndayishimiye.
“I am not begging but we are asking them to support on the development of this city,” he added.
This came after a delegation from Germany participated in the country’s commemoration of 61 years of Independence this Saturday.
Burundi was first colonised by Germany and then by Belgium. The country gained its independence in 1962.
The country’s Independence hero prince Louis Rwagasore was assassinated on October 13th 1961.
Rwagasore is considered as the country’s independence hero as he demanded a complete independence of Burundi from Belgium in 1961, he called on Burundians to boycott Belgian stores and refuse to pay tax as a means of civil disobedience in efforts to gain the independence.
His political party UPRONA in 1961 won the elections for the colony’s legislative assembly by 80 percent of the votes, Rwagasore was declared the Prime Minister with a mandate to prepare the country for independence.
He was however assassinated two weeks later on October 13th 1961 in a hotel in Bujumbura.
