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Burundi

Teenager in Burundi. Copyright: Philipp Ziser

Content

Governance
The economy
Health and education
Peacebuilding and poverty reduction
Debt relief
Priority areas of German cooperation with Burundi
Drinking water supply and sanitation

Situation and cooperation

The civil war in Burundi resulted in over 300,000 deaths. Some one million people fled abroad or to other parts of Burundi. The country faces enormous challenges reintegrating these people. According to estimates by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), some 500,000 refugees returned to Burundi between 2002 and 2010. At the beginning of 2011 more than 37,000 refugees still remained in camps in neighbouring Tanzania. According to UNHCR the figure for internally displaced persons was still almost 160,000. Returnees are increasing the pressure on the already scarce land resources in a country that is one of the most densely populated in Africa and has unchecked population growth.

People in Burundi. Copyright: Philipp ZiserSome 90 per cent of the population is dependent on the rural sector. It is estimated that some 15 per cent of the population now no longer possesses any land and the average plot size cultivated by one family has dwindled to 0.5 hectares. Two thirds of people in Burundi are undernourished. More than 80 per cent of the population has to get by on less than 1.25 US dollars a day. A large share of the population is dependent on food aid.

Governance

Burundi is a post-conflict country. The impacts of the civil war remain palpable. The democratic structures have not yet firmly taken root. Following the boycott of the elections in 2010 the opposition are not represented either in the parliament or in the senate, and many opposition figures have gone into exile. There is great mistrust between the government and the opposition, and dialogue is slow to progress. A recurrence of the violent conflict cannot be ruled out.

A torn flag of Burundi blowing in the wind. Copyright: Philipp ZiserMajor governance deficits persist. Core functions of the state can only be maintained with support from the international community. Admin­is­trative capacities are weak. Policies often serve par­tic­u­lar interests, and generally speaking are not sufficiently pro-development. Crime, corruption and impunity are widespread, and the judiciary is susceptible to political influence.

Positive aspects include the emergence of an active civil society, a pluralist party landscape and, compared to other countries in the region, a very free press. In the context of the 2010 elections, however, there was an increase in the number of cases of govern­ment interference in the freedom of opinion and assembly.

In April 2009 a new penal code was adopted. Among other things the death penalty was abolished, and the offences of torture, genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity were intro­duced. The legislation also provides for stiffer penalties to punish physical and sexual violence against women. At the same time as these internationally recognised improvements were introduced, though, homosexuality was made a penal offence. Despite strong pressure from the international community Burundi has so far continued to adhere to this change in the law, but has indicated that it will not enforce it for the time being.

The economy

The war has set Burundi's economic development back by about 15 years. An economic embargo imposed by Burundi's neighbours between 1996 and 1999 worsened the situation, which was then further aggravated by several periods of drought.

Overpopulation, a dearth of mineral resources and lack of job opportunities outside agriculture place severe constraints on the country's economic development. Burundi’s economy is barely diversified. Coffee is the principal export. Consequently, export earnings are heavily dependent on the weather and on price fluctuations on world markets. The overexploitation of resources in recent decades and the civil war have caused enormous environmental damage.

A young boy repairs the wheel of a bike. Copyright: Philipp ZiserSince the beginning of the economic recovery in Burundi the annual growth rate has levelled out at 3 to 4 per cent. However, development is being sustained largely by foreign donors – bilateral and multilateral partners fund more than half of the Burundi budget. The country's balance of trade is negative: Burundi imports considerably more goods than it exports.

Private sector development is being hampered by red tape and political obstacles. Potential investors are put off by the political instability, the absence of the rule of law and cor­rup­tion. In addition, the country's infrastructure is inadequate, its transport routes are in bad condition and there is an ongoing electricity shortage. In the World Bank's Doing Business Report 2011, which analyses the business climate worldwide, Burundi ranks 181 out of 183 states evaluated.

Given Burundi's state of development, industrialisation on a mean­ing­ful scale or the growth of a services sector are only con­ceiv­able in the long term. In order to achieve sustainable eco­nomic growth, the gov­ern­ment wants to concentrate on private sector promotion, partly by privatising state-owned enterprises.

In January 2004, Burundi signed the free trade agreement of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). In mid-2007, the country also joined the East African Community (EAC), which it is chairing for the first time in 2011. In the long term these steps will have a positive impact on Burundi's trade with the other member states.

Health and education

Pupils in Burundi. Copyright: Philipp ZiserThe population's health status has worsened con­sid­er­ably as a result of the civil war, as medical care and access to clean drinking water are severely limited. Child and infant mortality has fallen only slightly since 2000. The spread of HIV/AIDS continues unabated.

The level of education is very low; over 30 per cent of the population are illiterate. Significant progress has been made in terms of the number of children going to school. After school fees were abolished the school enrolment rate rose from 43 per cent in 2000 to 99 per cent in 2009. Only about half of these children complete their primary schooling, however.

Peacebuilding and poverty reduction

The reintegration of ex-combatants into civilian life is a major challenge for the government. A corresponding demobilisation programme was launched at the end of 2004.

In March 2007 – after a considerable delay – Burundi adopted its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The paper identifies four areas of priority:

  • Establishing peace, security and good governance

  • Promoting sustainable economic growth

  • Improving social services

  • Halting the spread of HIV/AIDS.

A woman from Burundi. Copyright: Philipp ZiserBurundian society is still sharply polarised. This polarisation is now driven less by ethnicity per se, having become more a matter of social and eco­no­mic inequality be­tween Hutus and Tutsis. Unlike its neighbour Rwanda, Burundi is pursuing a strict ethnic quota policy. This policy is enshrined in the constitu­tion (for example, 60 per cent Hutus, 40 per cent Tutsis in Parliament) and is regarded by Burundi as the way to pacify the country.

Overcoming the mutual mistrust between the Tutsi and Hutu ethnic groups and coming to terms generally with the events of the civil war are especially important for peace in the country. That is why the international community and the Burundi govern­ment agreed to set up a truth and reconciliation commission along with the relevant courts. It is envisaged that the process of setting up the commission will be completed in 2011. Also envisaged is a criminal court based on the Rwandan model.

Debt relief

At the end of January 2009 Burundi reached the completion point of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, thus qualifying for the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). More than 1.4 billion US dollars of the country's debt was cancelled in total. Nonetheless, Burundi's debt sustainability remains critical. The country will remain dependent on budget support and heavily subsidised loans from the international donor community for a long time to come.

Priority areas of German cooperation with Burundi

Relations between Burundi and Germany are friendly, and the countries remain linked through a short-lived colonial past (1896-1916). Germany's engagement in Burundi already dates back to the early 1960s. Development cooperation did have to be suspended due to the civil war, though. It was resumed in 2002 after peace was concluded and has been developed and ex­ten­ded since that time in dialogue with the partner government and in consultation with other donors.

During government negotiations held in October 2009, Germany pledged 22.5 million euros to Burundi for 2009 and 2010. 13 million euros of that total is for Financial Cooperation and 9.5 million euros for Technical Cooperation. In addition, since late 2010 Germany has made funding available for regional and climate-friendly energy projects involving Burundi, Rwanda and the Demo­cratic Republic of the Congo. It is also supporting the intro­duction of environmentally-sound local energy supply in Burundi.

Germany's priority area of cooperation with Burundi is water supply and sanitation. Germany is the largest donor in this sector and is chairing the donor forum. Germany is also supporting Burundi through a programme for decentralisation and local economic promotion in the province of Gitega. The lessons learned from this successful project will be utilised at national level and will be incorporated into advisory services provided to the Ministry for Decentralisation.

In addition, Germany is also actively involved in family planning as part of a healthcare programme. Given the country's high popu­la­tion density this is an important issue. Burundi also receives support in HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

Drinking water supply and sanitation

Hand washbasin in a school in Burundi. Copyright: Philipp ZiserAs a result of the civil war the pro­vision of basic services in Bu­run­di has de­te­rio­ra­ted dramatically. According to Bu­run­dian surveys, on average 43 per cent of the rural population had access to a functioning water supply system in 2000. The situ­a­tion was similar in the towns. There is no regulated sanitation system; only in the capital is there a municipal waste manage­ment service provider, but its facilities, equipment and capacity are not adequate. The time spent fetching water and that lost due to illnesses caused by unclean water reduce the population's earning capacity.

German development cooperation is helping improve water supply and sanitation for the population. Germany is helping Burundi to reform the water sector. The new water policy that was adopted at the end of 2009 establishes a good basis for improving structural aspects in the sector and for planning further activities. German experts are advising the ministry concerned in updating the legal framework, in decentralisation, investment planning, provider reorganisation and reform of the scale of charges (cost recovery).

Countrywide surveys are determining supply levels to the popu­la­tion in the water sector. The results of these surveys will serve as a basis for planning investment in urban and rural water supply.

At regional and local level cooperation is concentrated on select­ed urban and rural communities in five provinces. The measures include rehabilitation of water supply systems in urban and rural areas and needs-based up­grad­ing (water extraction and purifi­ca­tion, storage capacities, distribution systems, house connections, standpipes). Alongside the rehabilitation and up­grad­ing of drinking water supplies, the focus is on operator structures. They are to become more dynamic and more pro­fessional. Also, the public is being educated in using water hygienically.

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