An annual National prayer Retreat which is organised by the first family of Burundi has commenced at the Kayanza stadium.

The purpose of the one week crusade is to show gratitude to God for his actions in the African country over the year and also to commit the upcoming year into his care.

Burundi's President, Pierre Nkurunziza and his wife Denise, opened the crusade in the stadium which is yet to be filled up.

For the past few years, the people of Burundi have an appointment with these ecumenical prayers rather than concern of all Burundian stripes.

The powerful people in the country frequently attend the prayers with the country's vice president gracing this year's crusade.

Spageon Ngabo describes the annual crusade as a way of pretending 'everything is fine' in the presence of all the difficulties at the political, economic, judicial and human rights levels in the country.

“A Christian must give thanks to the Lord, both in misery and happiness,” he stated.

Nkurunziza is an openly born -again christian who usually organises prayer meetings and crusades with his wife. It is said of him that he travels travels with a choir and made it clear to leaders in the government when he took office in 2005 that prayer is a priority.

His opponents rubbish his ‘pious’ stance, pointing at his refusal to leave power, ‘violation’ of the constitution and human rights abuses as direct contradiction to his professions of faith in God.

Since 2015, Burundi has been plunged into a political crisis that was sparked off by the participation in the April 2015 presidential election of President Pierre Nkurunziza, accused of running for a third term, in contradiction with the Constitution.

This crisis, which has left hundreds of people dead, has come to rub off on the country’s economy.

The International Criminal Court (ICC), which Burundi officially quit in October this year, announced in mid-November that it was launching an investigation into human rights violations and crimes against humanity allegedly committed by the government. Burundians since April 2015.

Ghanaguardian.com