National landmarks renamed

Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza has controversially renamed the country's national landmarks to reflect the historical contribution of the majority Hutu ethnic group. BBC News reports that he said renaming the national stadium, the presidential palace and main airport aims to ‘remind Burundians of their history’. ‘This move is also to remove names that emerge from betrayal and bad behaviour brought in by colonialism,’ he said. Critics, however, say the move was meant to erase the contribution of members of the minority Tutsi community. Since independence from Belgium in 1962, the landlocked central African country has been plagued by tension between the Hutu majority and Tutsi minority. Nkurunziza, a Hutu former rebel leader, became the second President to be chosen in democratic elections. He was elected in 2005 following a brutal civil war.

Full BBC News report