As a way of checkmating and reforming morals in the country, Burundi government has ordered all unmarried couples to legalize their relationships before the end of the year.
The government gave the order on Friday following the launch of a campaign this month by President Pierre Nkurunziza to moralise society.
Burundi’s Interior ministry spokesman Terence Ntahiraja said the country was facing a population explosion which he blamed on “illegal marriages”, polygamy, bigamy and “hundreds of schoolgirls getting pregnant”.
He said church and state-sanctioned weddings were the solution and were a patriotic duty. Nkurunziza said Burundians should show their love for each other — and their country — by getting married.
The government has since been pressuring unwed couples across the country to tie the knot.
The governor of the southeastern province of Rutana has ordered that “persons living in common-law unions” should be put on a special list by June 22, while the governor of the northwestern Bubanza province has demanded unspecified “sanctions” against aisle-dodgers.
Pierre, a 27-year-old farmer living with his partner in Ngozi, said local officials had threatened him with a 50,000 Burundian franc ($25/22 euro) fine and said any child born out of wedlock would not be eligible for free education and medical costs.
Pierre said he had not married because he could not afford the bride price demanded by his girlfriend’s family.
“SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS PREGNANT. AS I AM POOR, WE DECIDED TO COME TOGETHER TO RAISE OUR CHILD,” HE SAID.“WE THOUGHT WE WOULD LEGALISE OUR UNION AS SOON AS WE COULD AFFORD IT.” THAT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO AND THE COUPLE IS NOW ONTO THEIR THIRD CHILD.TO ENACT THE PRESIDENT’S ORDERS, OFFICIALS HAVE BEGUN ORGANISING MASS WEDDINGS, SOMETHING ONE CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVIST OPPOSED AS “A VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS BECAUSE THE STATE HAS NO RIGHT TO ATTACK TWO ADULTS WHO HAVE DECIDED TO LIVE TOGETHER WITHOUT BEING MARRIED.”
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