FACTS

Republic of Burundi

Official Languages: Kirundi, French, English, Swahili

10.4m population - similar to Belgium

27,816 sq km area - similar to Haiti

Christianity Major Religions

50 years life expectancy for men

50 years life expectancy for women

Currency Burundian Franc

UN, World Bank, CIA World Factbook

LEADERS

President: Evariste Ndayishimiye

Evariste Ndayishimiye, is reported to be a fervent Catholic. He studied law at the University of Burundi (UB). He is nicknamed "Neva" and he became the second president to be chosen in democratic elections since the start of Burundi's civil war in 1994.

Ndayishimiye won elections held in May 2020, winning 68 percent of the national vote. Nkurunziza president at the time died unexpectedly on 8 June 2020. Since Ndayishimiye had already won the elections, the Constitutional Court accelerated his inauguration as president. He was installed at ceremony in Gitega on 18th June 2020, two months ahead of schedule.

Ndayishimiye began his seven-year term on 18 June 2020 and announced his first cabinet on 28 June 2020. He shrunk the cabinet ministers from 21 to 15.

Ndayishimiye's tenure has been noted to have been less isolationist than his predecessor Nkurunziza's, with Ndayishimiye having made four state visits, including a five-day trip to Equatorial Guinea, and also accommodated a state visit by the President of Ethiopia during his first ten months in office.

MEDIA

Media in Burundi is supervised by the government: Various television networks, newspapers, and radio stations operate within Burundi

TIMELINE

Some key dates in Burundi's history

1890 - The kingdoms of Urundi and neighbouring Ruanda (Rwanda) incorporated into German East Africa.

1916 - Belgian army occupies the area, which later becomes a Belgian protectorate.

1962 - Urundi is separated from Ruanda-Urundi and becomes independent.

1993-94 - Ethnic conflict escalates into full-scale civil war,

2015 - Unrest sparked