Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye has been nominated as the candidate of his party, the CNFDD-FDD, for the presidential election to be held next year.
Aged 57, Ndayishimiye has been at the head of this East African country since 2020, having taken over from long-time leader Pierre Nkurunziza.
The ruling party announced its decision in a message posted on X. The president will therefore seek another seven-year term in the upcoming election. No specific date has been set for the election.
Ndayishimiye responded on X by thanking party members "for placing their trust in me".
Since coming to power, Ndayishimiye has oscillated between opening up the government to reduce the influence of powerful generals and maintaining a firm grip on the country.
The United Nations and NGOs have condemned human rights violations in this landlocked country of 15 million inhabitants. Reporters Without Borders ranks the country 125th out of 180 in terms of press freedom.
The Burundian Minister of Media and Communication was killed this month in what the government described as a car accident. According to some sources, the cause of death is unclear and will be investigated.
Last month, former Burundian Prime Minister General Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni, who was serving a life sentence for attempted coup, was released for medical reasons.
Ndayishimiye currently holds the chairmanship of the African Union, whose one-year term began in February.
