Student Union
Burundi Teens May Have Planned Disappearance, Teachers Say
The parents have not made any public statements about the students, who apparently ran away on July 18 while in the U.S. capital for an international robotics competition. Two of the students were reported Friday to have entered Canada, while the whereabouts of the other four are unclear.
The principal of Iteletique High School, which two of the missing students attended, says the teens gave their parents some advance warning about their plans.
"Talking with parents, they told us that once the kids arrived there, they [the kids] told them they may not come back," Esperence Niyonzima told a reporter for VOA’s Central Africa Service in Bujumbura.
"It seems the parents are not worried, they were not worried for the kids' unknown whereabouts," she said.
Asked why the kids ran away while in Washington, she said, "I think they wanted better opportunities than they could get in Burundi."
The youth leader of the Burundian team, Canesius Bindaba, returned to Burundi late Friday after being questioned by police in Washington. He told VOA's Central Africa Service he was not expecting the teens to disappear, and was disappointed that they did.
"They never showed any sign that would lead me to believe that they actually had concrete plans to stay there," he said. "They've made a decision which they had deliberated on without my knowledge, and in which I could not do much about. It was unfortunate."
He said he hasn't spoken to his fellow students' parents, but believes they are unconcerned since they have not tried to reach out to him.
"There were some who said, 'Don't worry, if they [the students] made that decision, perhaps they realized living there was the life they wanted. This gave me a bit of relief because they [police] wanted to be sure they [the kids] were not kidnapped or lost."
Burundi, a poor, landlocked African country, is still recovering from a 13-year civil war that ended in 2006.
More recently, the country experienced months of political unrest after President Pierre Nkurunziza ran for and won a controversial third term in 2015. More than 400,000 Burundians fled to neighboring countries in the wake of protests and violence that killed hundreds of people.
But both Bindaba and Niyonzima said insecurity was not a reason for the teens to flee.
"It should be known that as we speak I am in Burundi with my family. I passed through the airport with no hassle, there is peace in the country," said Bindaba.
"They shouldn't say that they fear for their security," said Niyonzima. "Their safety was not in jeopardy."
Both instructors said they hope the teens return to Burundi and teach other students about robotics.
"If they are found, it would be [good] so that they can help other kids, because they've learned so much," said Bindaba.
This story first appeared on VOANews.com, reported by Auriane Isis and Eloge Willy Kaneza.
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
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