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This east African country is waging a war on its women

Burundi has been in political turmoil ever since president Pierre Nkurunziza ran for a third term in 2015, flouting the country’s constitution.

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The new restrictions also forbid drumming at "unofficial events" including weddings and parties. While woman are outright banned from the practice, groups seeking to perform "cultural shows" must register with the ministry of culture. They are also not allowed to perform outside of official ceremonies without authorisation from the ministry.

The presidential decree states that any organizer looking to have drummers at their event, must pay a fee of around $280.

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The lauded dance of royal drums was placed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2014.

Prior to the government establishing restrictions on the practice, drumming was widely performed at weddings. Though historically male-dominated, groups consisting of woman drummers have formed over the years.

Many have criticized the increasingly authoritarian government for its discriminatory actions against woman drummers and its obvious attempt to profit off of the sacred drumming tradition.

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This article was written by Desmond Frimpong.

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