This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
On June 26, 2020, thousands of Burundians lined the roads to Gitega, the capital, to pay their respects to former president Pierre Nkurunziza, who died suddenly on June 8, 2020, at the age of 55.
The government attributed his death to 'heart failure', but speculation has been rife that he may have contracted the coronavirus, given that his wife had been flown to Nairobi for treatment just two weeks prior.
The funeral ceremonies began with a private gathering at the hospital in Karuzi, where Nkurunziza died, attended by his wife, Denise Bucumi Nkurunziza, his children, and close family members.
Nkurunziza's death came shortly after he had handpicked his successor, Evariste Ndayishimiye, who was sworn in last week.
The funeral procession was met with a sea of white-clad citizens, who had been instructed by authorities to wear the color in honor of the deceased.
The stadium in Gitega, where the funeral ceremony was held, was packed with citizens from across the country, all dressed in white.
Nkurunziza will be buried at a monument in Gitega, which was recently built at the site of a structure intended to commemorate victims of Burundi's various crises over the years.
Nkurunziza's legacy is complex, marked by a deeply isolated country in political and economic turmoil. His 2015 bid for a third term sparked protests and a failed coup, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,200 people and the displacement of 400,000 others.
