Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye was sworn in at a colourful ceremony on Thursday, taking the helm of a troubled nation after the sudden death of his predecessor.

At a stadium in the capital Gitega where the crowd was dressed in identical outfits, Ndayishimiye pledged to “devote all my force to defending the superior interests of the nation and ensure the national unity and cohesion of the Burundian people, peace and social justice.”