African despots should know it is not business as usual

It did not come as a surprise that a flagrant attempt by Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza to extend his presidential term touched a raw nerve among frustrated citizens who made use of the freedom of assembly to show their disgust.

A similar attempt was strongly opposed last year in Burkina Faso where displeased electorate brought down the statue of the President and set Parliament ablaze in what rekindled memories of the country’s most talked-about revolutionary, the late Thomas Sankara.