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Sub-Saharan Africa
Peace was officially declared in Burundi in 2000 following seven years of civil war. The consequences of that war have not yet been overcome, however. This East African country is still politically unstable and the population is still worse off than before the outbreak of violence: Poverty has doubled since 1993 – the country is one of the poorest in the world, ranking 166th out of 169 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI 2010). Shortcomings with regard to good governance and human rights, the fight against crime and impunity, and corruption, are among the major problems faced by Burundi.
Like neighbouring Rwanda, Burundi was for a long time the scene of conflicts between the Tutsi minority and the Hutu majority. The roots of the conflict extend far back into the past. At the end of the 19th century, Burundi and Rwanda, together known as "Urundi", were incorporated into the colony of German East Africa. The German and later Belgian colonial power made pacts with the ruling families of the Tutsi elite, contributing to the discrimination of the peasant Hutu population. This unequal distribution of power continued after Burundi gained its independence in 1962. A number of Hutu uprisings in 1972, 1988 and 1991 were quelled by force. Large numbers of Hutus fled to Tanzania, Rwanda or Zaire (known today as the Democratic Republic of the Congo).
In a referendum in 1992 the people gave the go-ahead to a new constitution. Elections were held and in 1993 Ndaye Melchior, a Hutu, emerged as the country's President. His assassination – in that same year – triggered a civil war. Estimates put the number of victims of the persistent outbreaks of violence since then at over 300,000.
In 1998 peace talks began between the parties to the conflict. They ended in 2000 with the signing of a peace agreement. The peace and reconciliation process was largely completed in 2009 following the demobilisation of the last Hutu rebel group. In April 2009 the FNL (Forces Nationales de Libération, National Liberation Forces) was officially recognised as a political party.
Yet in 2010 too the country failed to achieve political peace. Elections for all the political decision-making bodies, from the local parliaments to the national president, were held on five separate dates. This began with the local elections in May 2000. While international election observers judged the election to have been basically fair, despite some irregularities, the opposition spoke of massive electoral fraud. They boycotted the remaining elections. The governing CNDD-FDD party won sweeping victories in all five elections. President Pierre Nkurunziza, who campaigned without an opposing candidate due to the boycott, received 91.6 per cent of the vote, and was thus confirmed in office.
Cooperation with Germany
German development cooperation with Burundi supports the process of peacebuilding and stabilising the Great Lakes region of East Africa. Sustainable drinking water supplies and sanitation are a priority area of bilateral cooperation. Germany is also engaged in the fields of decentralisation, local economic promotion and climate-friendly energy supply.
German Embassy
German Embassy in Burundi
22, avenue du 18 Septembre
Bujumbura
Burundi
Phone: +257 / 22 25 77 77
Fax: +257 / 22 22 10 04
