There is significant unrest in Burundi. Opposition politicians have accused Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza of violating the constitution by running for a third term and are boycotting the vote originally due on July 15, now postponed to July 21.

Dozens of people have already died in protests in the world’s third poorest country which emerged from civil war in 2005. Hundreds of thousands have fled to other states with a history of ethnic conflict including neighbouring Rwanda.

Lake Victoria Region

Lake Victoria Region

The significance to Congo is that the source of the violence is the decision to run for a third term. In Congo, President Kabila has yet to definitively confirm that he will not seek a third term. The silver lining of the Burundi violence may be a recognition by Kabila that he should not run again for the sake of the country. Unfortunately, Africa is full of examples of leadership which didn’t think that way.