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ODID DPhil Jean-Benoit Falisse Comments on Burundi Crisis for Media

ODID DPhil student Jean-Benoit Falisse has been interviewed across a variety of media over recent weeks about the crisis in Burundi, where the announcement by incumbent President Pierre Nkurunziza that he would seek a third term in elections next month sparked a failed coup attempt and violent unrest.

Jean-Benoit was interviewed by Radio France International, where he discussed the coup attempt by General Niyombare and its potential repercussions for the country and its inhabitants, as well as the support of the 'coup plotters' and the nature of the crisis.

He also spoke on Huffington Post's World Brief with Alyona Mink. Jean Benoit discussed the legal background to Nkurunziza's election bid, as well as the chances of its success. He noted that, unusually for a Burundian president, Nkurunziza had been highly visible on the ground in the countryside, which was thus a strong constituency for him, despite the violent protests in Bujumbura.

He also spoke to China Central Television's Talk Africa, where he noted the importance of understanding the economic background to the current unrest, suggesting that anger at the lack of concrete improvements in living standards under Nkurunziza were also fuelling discontent.

On 15 May Jean-Benoit convened a round table in Oxford, bringing together scholars to examine the causes of the current situation and discuss the prospects for peace and democracy in Burundi and the region. He wrote about the findings on the Politics in Spires blog and also blogged about the situation for African Arguments. He also spoke about the situiation to Czech student radio and Islam Channel.