The international robotics competition was wrapping up, but there was one slight problem, the Burundi kids were nowhere to be foundAs an international robotics competition in Washington DC was wrapping up, the chaperone of the Burundi team was confronting his worst nightmare: he couldn’t find his kids. Burundi civil war fears as president accused of campaign of murder Read moreThe students had been staying in dorms at Trinity Washington University, and had been expected to return to Burundi on Thursday. The competition’s webpage on Team Burundi says team members were selected from schools in Bujumbura, the capital city. He called the teens’ departure disappointing and said economic impoverishment, rather than political persecution, drives most decisions to seek asylum from Burundi. Burundi has been plagued by deadly political violence since April 2015, when President Pierre Nkurunziza’s ultimately successful decision to seek a third term led to street protests.

Source: The Guardian July 21, 2017 03:45 UTC