BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 31. Burundians didn't have French names in the pre-colonial times, Burundian political analyst Nibizi Jean-Marie, founder of the Organization for Integration, Neighborhood, and Equality, said at an international conference titled "Belgian colonialism: acknowledgement and responsibility" organized by the Baku Initiative Group, dedicated to Belgium's colonial past and its current serious consequences, Trend reports.
Jean-Marie pointed out that the colonialists really threw a wrench in the works by wiping out the native language in Burundi.
"The French language was forcibly introduced into the education system. It was only post-sovereignty that Burundi could initiate a paradigm shift in its educational framework and reinstate the indigenous Burundian linguistic heritage," he recalled.
The analyst emphasized that the colonialists also changed people's names.
"Before the colonial period, Burundians didn't have French names. It was during the colonial period that people were given French names under the guise of baptism. This process was then furthered through religion. In this way, they also destroyed the culture and wisdom of the people," he added.
To note, in 1916, Belgian forces executed a strategic incursion into the region amidst the global conflict known as the First World War. In 1923, the League of Nations conferred upon Belgium the jurisdiction over the territory known as Ruanda-Urundi, which comprises the contemporary nations of Rwanda and Burundi, while the western kingdoms were allocated to Tanganyika.
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