Burundi: Will Bujumbura Ever Live Again?
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The Weekly Observer (Kampala)
COLUMN
7 August 2008
Posted to the web 7 August 2008
Simon Musasizi
Swathed in my jacket on a cold, calm and murky Friday evening, we touched base at Burundi's capital, Bujumbura.
We left Kampala on Thursday night and were expected in Bujumbura Friday for the official launch of the Bell Pearl of Africa Music (PAM) Awards in Burundi.
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But for a function that was slated to start at 7p.m., by 9p.m. we had not yet arrived. We unexpectedly spent more time (more than 20 hours) on the road.
At Katuna, the Ugandan - Rwanda border, we were delayed by authorities who had refused to offer temporary travel documents to our colleagues who had no passports.
It took us close to two hours to convince the authorities to let them in. But it was on condition that we first report to the Ugandan Embassy in Kigali for clearance.
At the embassy, we wasted another three hours. But with the hospitality we got from the Ugandan ambassador to Rwanda, Richard Kabonero, it was not that painful.
Moving through the hilly and mountainous landscape was tedious but at 5p.m., we were at the Rwandan border with Burundi.
The roads here have sharp bends as you traverse the mountains. Sometimes you get a feeling that you are moving back to where you are from.
The driver had to reduce speed to negotiate the sharp corners. Yet we had been warned that we couldn't travel after 7p.m. in Burundi. There is a curfew in the country said to be a powder keg set to explode anytime.
The 12 years of civil war have left Burundi with sporadic clashes between government and rebel forces not only in the countryside but even on the streets of Bujumbura.
None of us knew how much distance was left and there were no road signs or kilometre readings.
Soon, we were stopped. The innocent driver thought it was another check point and waited at his seat. But the mean looking soldiers expected us to know the rules -park the van and wait to continue the journey the following morning. We had to bribe our way out.
But there was another roadblock ahead of us. We again had to stop and as we waited in the queue, a guy peeping through the window asked; "Are you the journalists from Uganda?" We chorused, "Yes" like patients waiting for a doctor.
He was a Burundian journalist who had come in with security to escort us to the capital. Two policemen jumped into our vehicle, while two of us joined his car.
But just when we thought we had bid farewell to bribery, we were soon stopped and the policemen again had to negotiate with the soldiers. But finally we were let to go.
Occasionally, we came across soldiers camped on the roadside. And the police simply waved at them as we made our way to Bujumbura.
Time check was 9.30p.m; we made our grand entry into a city where you are expected to be in bed by 7p.m. All the streets were closed with a curfew in place and hardly any cars moving around.
The city lying at the north-eastern corner of Lake Tanganyika remained silent not until we got to Cercle Nautique Hotel where patrons had gathered for the awards.
In Bujumbura, if you can't speak Kirundi, French or Kiswahili, just keep your mouth shut. From to time I called my Rwandese friend who speaks Kirundi to bail me out.
Musumali Shaban Gerald, a Burundian singer, was so excited that the awards had made it to their country.
"PAM awards will promote our artistes not only within Burundi but across East Africa," he said.
And indeed, there was great talent showcasing. But the hunger and fatigue would not allow us continue with the show to the end.
At midnight, we were taken for dinner at Nkola-Mboka Snacks Pub where I was surprised to hear Ugandan music playing. Michael Ross' Yoyo and Obsessions' Jangu drove revellers crazy in a pub that compares to Kampala Road's Slow Boat.
But it is tracks by Rwanda's Tumasamba that remind you of an intertwined cultural background between Rwanda and Burundi.
When we left Nkola-Mboka, I was so tired and went straight to check in at the hotel.
On Saturday, I woke up early to tour the city before we could depart. It was another quiet day - abandoned streets. As I walked around looking for a cab, a woman collecting garbage at a workshop stopped me. She warned me that I risked getting arrested if I didn't get back to where I stay. There was a roadblock just a few meters away.
She said that every last Saturday of the month is general cleaning day. The city stays closed until 11a.m. for residents to clean their homes.
And that is how I missed touring Bujumbura. When the streets were finally opened, we headed back to Kampala.
Along the way, our colleague, a cameraman with WBS TV, twisted his leg as he jumped through the window to take video clips of a village wedding. We had been stopped by police as the couple with their relatives moved on the road.
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We had to spend a night in Kigali because he needed an x-ray to examine the extent of his injuries. A sad ending to a fun-filled trans-East African Community trip.
--
Jean-Louis Kayitenkore
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Kigali-Rwanda
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