Central and West Africa: Burundi
Background
In an historic moment and in accordance with the provisions of the 2000 Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement (APRA), President Pierre Buyoya resigned on April 30, 2003 and transferred power to his Hutu vice-president, Domitien Ndayizeye. While some Hutus contend that President Ndayizeye's real power is limited, the transition was hailed as a crucial step towards peace and reconciliation in a country plagued by a 10-year civil war that has left more than 300,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands more displaced.
The transfer of political power is bolstered by the recent arrival of African Union peacekeeping forces. Their mandate includes monitoring a tenuous cease-fire agreement signed in December 2002. The disarmament and demobilization of remaining forces is expected to follow. While both sides had agreed to stop hostilities starting December 6, with a definitive truce to take effect on December 30, clashes soon resumed in Bujumbura and in several provinces throughout the country leaving hundreds dead and several thousands of civilians displaced.
Past Activities
In April 2002, NDI and the International Republican Institute (IRI) jointly initiated implementation of a six-month legislative program aimed at strengthening the Burundian legislature's role in the implementation of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement (APRA) signed in August 2000. NDI and IRI worked closely with the National Assembly and the Senate to achieve the following objectives: 1) enhance awareness among Burundian legislators on their role and responsibilities under APRA; 2) promote dialogue and cooperation among legislators from different political parties; and 3) increase the public outreach of representatives to educate Burundians on the role and responsibilities of the legislature as it promotes public dialogue.
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| Burundian parliamentarians meeting with constituents in June 2002 with NDI's assistance. | |
Following an orientation conference, NDI and IRI jointly sponsored parliamentary workshops to build capacity and promote effective relations between the legislature and other branches of government, as well as civil society organizations and traditional institutions. In June, twenty-three parliamentarians, representing both the Tutsi-dominated National Union for Progress (UPRONA) and the Hutu-led Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU), participated in a series of town hall meetings in three of Burundi's 17 provinces. The initiative, NDI's first to target constituency outreach, attracted between 2,500 and 3,000 citizens in three days and was the first parliamentary activity of its kind at the communal level in Burundi. Following this activity, an October workshop examined various aspects of the Arusha Accords and lessons learned from other peace and reconciliation processes on the continent. Panel discussions on cease-fire negotiations and the role of the legislature in overseeing implementation of the Accords sparked particular interest.
Recent Activities
Ahead of the transfer of power between Presidents Buyoya and Ndayizeye, NDI launched a multi-media information campaign to promote peace and reconciliation that augmented previous activities to strengthen the role of Burundi's National Assembly in the implementation of the peace accords. To date, NDI has organized two televised debates, eight radio programs, several one-on-one interviews, and has published and distributed multiple editions of the parliamentary journal Bulletin de Parlement. The radio programs have provided an important vehicle for communication on critical issues of national importance to the Burundian people. Participants in the broadcasts have included members of parliament, a former president and former prime minister, current and former cabinet ministers, civil society leaders, members of the press, and international guests. Throughout the month of March, NDI conducted a series of consultative meetings with Burundian political actors and civil society leaders to plan radio call-in programs and a televised roundtable discussion designed to raise citizen awareness. The programs that subsequently aired during the months of April and May centered on themes such as peace and reconciliation, the de-politicization of the political administration, the role and responsibility of the media, and political transfer of power. The initiative aimed to mitigate current tensions and improve the environment to support a peaceful, credible, and sustainable political transition.
Contact Information
For further information on our programs in Burundi, please contact:
Grant Godfrey, Program Officer
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Updated July 2004
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