Who is Gen. Evariste Ndayishimiye the New President of Burundi?

Burundian ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces de defense de la democratie (CNDD-FDD) party candidate, Gen. (Rtd) Evariste Ndayishimiye has been declared winner of the controversial presidential election whose polling was done last week, on Wednesday, without any election observers whatsover.

He won 68.72 percent of the votes with the main opposition candidate Agathon Rwasa polling just 24.19 percent, the Burudian Election Commission said on Monday 25th afternoon.

Gen. Ndayishimiye, a very close ally of the outgoing President Pierre Nkurunziza currently doubles as Secretary General of the ruling party.

Born 1968 in the province of Gitega, the new capital of Burundi, was one of the rare Hutu students at the University of Burundi in 1995 who narrowly escaped ethnic cleansing against Hutu students carried out by their Tutsi counterparts in the regrettable genocide.

Along with, his predecessor Nkurunziza, a lecturer at Burundi University then, the new Burundian President is reported to have fled the country through a crocodile infested swamp to seek refuge in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

He is one of the original core and a co-founder of CNDD party which waged a guerrilla rebellion 1994. In 2000 when CNDD reformed into CNDD-FDD, Gen Ndayishimiye, Hussain Radjabu, Pierre Nkurunziza, and one Adolphe are said to have overseen its prosperity from intial stages.

He is among the top core of the CNDD-FDD party and witnessed the signing of the global ceasefire with then government of Burundi in 2003 in Pretoria under mediation of global icon Nelson Mandela.

In 2004, after the final Arusha Peace Accord, CNDD-FDD joined Burundi government and he was appointed the new deputy chief of staff of the National Defense Forces (FDN) with the rank of Major General.

He shuffled through the interior and public security ministries between 2006 and 2007, and later the chieftancy of military affairs in 2008.

Currently also the president of Burundi National Olympics Committee, he was selected as party candidate for state presidency on January 26, 2020 in Gitega.

Gen Ndayishimiye is married to Angeline Ndayubah and takes over from President Nkurunziza who is stepping down after 15 years at the helm. He is expected to be sworn-in later this year in August.