Burundi forced couples to wed amid drive to 'moralise society'

Cohabiting couples in Burundi have until the end of the
 year to get married or face legal consequences.

The government order comes after President Pierre Nkurunziza launched a campaign "to moralise society".

A government spokesman said a crackdown on informal
relationships was needed to combat a population explosion.

He said too many schoolgirls were getting pregnant and
 men were taking advantage of women by cohabiting with several simultaneously.

Burundi has been in crisis since 2015 when Mr Nkurunziza,
 a born-again Christian, announced he would run for a controversial third term.

Interior ministry spokesman Terence Ntahiraja told AFP
 news agency that church and state-sanctioned weddings were the solution to the country's population explosion - 
and a patriotic duty.

"We want Burundians to understand that everyone
is responsible for his life, we want order in this country," 
he said.

"All this is done within the framework of the patriotic
 training programme," he said, referring to an initiative launched by President Nkurunziza.

It is not clear exactly what sanctions those not tying the
 knot will face.

However, one farmer quoted by AFP said local officials
 had already threatened him and his partner with a fine
 and said any child born out of wedlock would not qualify
 for free education or medical treatment.

The farmer, named only as Pierre, said he had not married
because he could not afford the bride price demanded
by his partner's family.

Hundreds of people have since died since Mr Nkurunziza launched a bid for a third term. But the country had been relatively calm in recent months.