Burundi Dispatch | A Neglected, But Hopeful, Peace Process

Former PCR Project colleague Viktoria Schmitt submits the following: “Remind me again what happened there?” - This was the answer I often got when I told my friends I would be traveling to Burundi this summer. And it reflected well what this war-ravaged tiny country has been receiving from the international community - namely scant attention. Closely linked to events in neighboring Rwanda and Eastern DR Congo, but neither of strategic importance nor “renowned” for its genocide, Burundi is seldom considered apart from the Great Lakes refugee crisis and the UN Peacebuilding Commission. Yet the remarkable recovery that Burundi has undergone in the past years tells a story of hope – a story that could be all the better with some more international engagement. Shortly before I arrived, the last rebel group remaining outside the peace process, the Palipehutu-FNL, had signed a ceasefire agreement with the Government. Streets were bustling in the capital, where shelling had taken place only a few weeks before. People were full of hope. Some 300,000 Burundians died during the civil war that broke out between the politically and economically dominating Tutsi minority and the long excluded Hutu majority following an attempted transition to democracy in the early 1990s. The 2000 Arusha Agreement, crucially facilitated by Nelson Mandela and Julius Nyerere, eventually ushered in a rough transition phase. Stability was restored with the help of the African Union´s first fully fledged peacekeeping mission on the continent, as the UN security Council refused to send peacekeepers given that not all warring factions had signed the agreement and that “Africa´s First World War” was raging just across Lake Tanganyika in neighboring DR Congo. Since then, the major groups have, for the first time in the country´s history, strategically begun to share power, including a pronounced role for women. In 2005, a democratically elected government was sworn in. President Pierre Nkurunziza, a former guerilla leader, publicly apologized for his crimes. The UN phased out its peacekeeping mission last year. As one of the two countries currently covered by the UN Peacebuilding Commission, Burundi has also finally received greater international attention – among the informed public at least. Many NGOs are currently transitioning from relief to development. Yet Burundi still has a long way to go. The conflict between the government and the Palipehutu-FNL – representing a struggle for power among Hutu-representing groups - constitutes the most pressing obstacle to moving further along the road to peace. Although the FNL is not a serious military threat, it impedes the return of stability and recovery in the southwestern provinces and scares off much needed international investment. Much will depend on the successful reintegration of its 3,000 or so fighters, and it doesn´t bode well that the Arusha DDR process is still dragging. Many Burundians I met also expressed fear that the Palipehutu leaders might find the time too long until the next election in 2010 before getting a share in power. Having scant political experience and so far mainly relied on guns for influence, the Palipehutu is moreover strategically disadvantaged vis-à-vis the Government during the election campaign. Already, Parliament has been stalled for almost a year due to infighting. Furthermore, as Africa´s second most densely populated country and with an estimated 350,000 refugees awaiting return, tensions over land and food insecurity are likely to increase at the same time as humanitarian assistance is phased out and medium- to long-term reintegration and development strategies scarcely exist. The international community has regularly failed to meet the UN´s Annual Consolidated Appeal for Humanitarian Aid for Burundi in the past years, which amounts to only some $150 million. The contribution of the UN Peacebuilding Fund, some $26 million to date, are important, but can only be a first step. Burundi is at a crucial phase in the consolidation of peace. The country has shouldered the transition process remarkably well, a process which is also a testimony of successful African efforts. Now the international community should press on to make it a lasting one, which could be a crucial step in helping to stabilize the region. Here are a few sites to check out for more info: South African Institute for Security Studies, Burundi country file http://www.issafrica.org/index.php?link_id=14&slink_id=3392&link_type=12&slink_type=12&tmpl_id=3&link_country_id=7   Bureau Intégré des Nations Unies au Burundi (BINUB) http://binub.turretdev.com/en/index.php   The Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research, Burundi page http://www.transnational.org/Area_Index_Burundi.htm   International Crisis Group, Burundi reports http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=1172&l=1