Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza has intensified his brutal campaign to stay in power by stifling international news reporting of his government’s repressive actions, events ahead of his controversial referendum to extend presidential term limits.

Peacekeeping deployments are essential to the U.S. and its Western allies’ interests, but they are also an economic opportunity for soldiers from the Global South and for troop contributing nations.

How serious is the political crisis in Burundi to warrant international armed intervention? Despite pressure from the West, the African Union last week decided not to send troops to the central African nation. But what the AU and everybody else won't discuss – at least openly - is the fact the crisis is the handiwork of external forces pushing for regime change in Bujumbura.

If 1965 consists of the first time in recorded history of contemporary Burundi that people lost their lives simply because of who they were ‘ethnically’ considered to be, 2015 is yet another moment in the post-colonial history of Burundi that people are losing their lives simply because of who they are ‘politically’ considered to be.