Missionaries Evacuated from Burundi
Missionaries serving in Burundi have been moved out as violence erupted in the African country, according to a statement from Church spokesman Eric Hawkins.
“Due to political unrest in the area, the Church has moved several missionaries serving in the African nation of Burundi to other areas within the mission,” he told the Deseret News on Tuesday evening, June 2. The missionaries are part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Lubumbashi Mission. “Moving missionaries within a mission to ensure their safety is a common practice throughout the world,” he continued.
Protesters angered by Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision to run for a third term as Burundi’s president took to the streets in late May. The move is unconstitutional, protesters claim. Troops began firing bullets and tear gas at the antigovernment protesters and into neighborhoods.
