Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye has firmly ruled out any possibility of his ruling party, CNDD-FDD, ever stepping down from power, insisting that the country was “won through hardship” and will not be surrendered.
Speaking during a CNDD-FDD campaign rally held in Musigati Commune on May 27, 2025, President Ndayishimiye declared:
“We took this country through struggle. It was not easy. There is no way we would give up what we suffered to gain, because we have come a long way.”
Ndayishimiye, who has been in office since 2020, portrayed CNDD-FDD as a party that rescued Burundi from chaos, claiming that before it took power, the country was plagued by disorder and instability. He said that under CNDD-FDD leadership, democracy had been established and peace restored.
He further asserted that Burundi is now secure, respected on the international stage, and that Burundians, wherever they are in the world, are also treated with respect.
Despite these strong claims, many observers point to the party’s 20-year rule with skepticism. Critics argue that the country remains in deep economic crisis and has seen little progress under CNDD-FDD’s leadership.
Burundi continues to struggle with severe shortages of essential goods, including a long-running fuel crisis now entering its fourth year, a persistent lack of sugar, inflation on basic necessities, and a shortage of foreign currency reserves. These issues have kept Burundi among the poorest nations in the world.
