This year however, things were not easy for a number of reasons. Firstly, the prolonged strike in public secondary schools has disorganized academic schedules and meant that many students were not available to fully take part in the work camp activities. Secondly, the political and security tensions surrounding the contested communal election results led to grenade attacks in Bujumbura and other provinces, provoking terror and fear amongst the population. Thirdly, a lack of funding caused delay to the start of the camp.

This difficult context did not however, hamper the Kamenge Youth Centre’s determination. The first camp in a series of five was entitled ‘‘Democracy’’ and ended on June 26^th.  Two-hundred-and-eighty youth and facilitators took part and 52,582 bricks were produced to rebuild the homes of internally displaced people. Working sessions covered topics including; elections, democracy, conflict management, ecology, family, teamwork, cinema and sports. On the final day, prizes were awarded for competitions in poetry, drawing and musical arts.  Finally school materials were distributed to all participants.  The second camp is due to start on July 6^th, with ten volunteers from Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands also expected.

The Centre also markerd Music day from June 19 to 21 with a mega concert where 22 groups performed. This event was described as ‘‘a real testimony of people willing to live peacefully’’. One organizer commented that ‘‘while in other parts of the country people are preparing their arms, here at the Centre we are having a party because we want to live and continue to dream and hope. It’s a great testimony from northern quarters of Bujumbura and we are proud of it’’. Several other activities are scheduled up to August including seminars on democracy and the Bible; as well as income generating activities for communities.

Kamenge Youth Centre demonstrates an inspiring example of people committed to not allowing efforts to achieve peace to be compromised by political tensions and manipulation.

Landry Ninteretse

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Five opposition presidential candidates announced on June 1st that they would boycott the upcoming presidential poll, arguing it would be rigged again.  Among those candidates is Agathon Rwasa, leader of the former rebel group of Forces for National Liberation-FNL considered as the main challenger to incumbent president Pierre Nkurunziza. FNL supporters clashed with police on June 16 over rumors of the arrest of their leader who is now reported to have fled the country. Several sources indicate that the former rebel leader could be presently in Eastern DR Congo.

For the moment, police have failed to stop such attacks and to arrest the criminals. Colonel Gaspard Baratuza, spokesman of the police has indicated that resurgence of violence described as ‘‘acts of sabotage ahead of the presidential poll on June 28’’ seems to be generalized with grenade attacks occurring not only in Bujumbura but also in other several towns countryside.

The current political and security tension in Burundi poses a serious threat to stability of this landlocked Great Lakes country that is still struggling to emerge from a 13 year civil war that left more than 300,000 people dead. Violent incidents, acts of intimidation and manipulation were reported in the months leading up to the polls. The youth wings of political parties clashed on several times and it is reported that an estimated 80 percent of households in the capital and countryside still have small arms.

The small progresses made since 2005 now is at risk of being seriously compromised as only one party takes part in the electoral process and violence resurges across the country, and with a total absence of initiatives to facilitate dialogue among the political parties.

Landry Ninteretse, Burundi Local Correspondent. 25 June 2010

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This decision follows the publication of a HRW’s report on pre-electoral violence last week describing violent clashes between rival youth wings, including the ruling party CNDD-FDD and former rebel group FNL. The report urged the government to take strong measures to combat political violence and ensure peaceful conditions in this electoral period.

Augustin Sanze, minister of foreign affairs who took the decision to withdraw the work authorization of Neela Ghoshal explains in his letter that “the report deliberately omits the efforts of the Interior Ministry to prevent youth groups to use sport for political and pretends that population fears 2010 polls.”

For the government, HRW’s report seems ignoring all the measures taken to ensure fair and transparent elections and can not tolerate no longer such reports.

However Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch Executive Director expressed its disappointment saying that “the report is based on meticulous on-the-ground research over several months, and it documents human rights abuses by all sides – not only the government or the ruling party.” He added that HRW stands behind the personal integrity and professional work of Neela Ghoshal, who for almost three years has documented human rights abuses in Burundi. “We hope to discuss this matter as soon as possible with the Burundian government to urge officials to reconsider the decision.” said Mr Roth.

Any discussions are likely to be extremely tough, as the Burundian government has clearly expressed dissatisfaction over the work of UN representatives and publications by human rights organisations on the political situation in Burundi. In December 2009, Youssef Mahmoud, former head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi (BINUB) was ordered to leave the country, accused having close links to the opposition.

Several independent reports however have clearly showed that some local authorities, members of the ruling party, ordered the police to disrupt opposition party gatherings and block them from opening local offices. Civil society activists and reporters denouncing diverse abuses have also been harassed.

Landry Ninteretse, Burundi Local Correspondent. 23 May 2010.

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Visiting the Katumba settlement of the so called “1972 Burundian refugees” last Thursday, UN High Commissionner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres praised the Tanzanian government for its “unprecedented generosity and courageous decision” in finding lasting solutions for these Burundian refugees. He also called on donor countries to respond by helping Tanzania integrate its new citizens.

In 2000, a peace process started in Burundi and the first successful, post-conflict, general elections were held in 2005. UNHCR has assisted the voluntary repatriation of over 500,000 Burundian refugees from neighbouring countries, mainly Tanzania.

In 2008, Tanzanian government offered the remaining refugees a choice of either granting citizenship or repatriating them in Burundi. An estimated 54,000 living in refugees camps consecutively to 1993 civil war chose to return home.

The 162,000 new citizens of Tanzania are mostly Hutus who fled Burundi in 1972 to escape ethnic violence which left more than 200,000 people killed.  These refugees were no longer confined to refugee settlements and were already largely integrated into Tanzania’s society and economy. After over 30 years they were very reluctant to return back to Burundi and have been advocating for naturalisation for a long time.

Explaining the reasons behind the decision, Tanzanian Interior Minister, Lawrence Masha, said “We felt that it was not good for them – but also for the security of Tanzania – to have a group of close to 200,000 who have no place to call home. As citizens of Tanzania, they are free to live everywhere within the country and they will have access to social services like any other Tanzanians”, Masha told AlertNet.

Last January I visited Muriza peace village, in the Eastern province of Ruyigi, where some returnees are facing all kinds of difficulties to reintegrate, certain inhabitants of the village, especially those who came from Tanzania, told me that they were tempted by a second exile. According to them, livelihoods are better in Tanzania. However, they have already made their decision and have now to rebuild together with other Burundians a peaceful and prosperous society.

Posted by Landry Ninteretse, Local Correspondent for Burundi, 22 April 2010

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2010 General Elections

In the run up to the 2010 elections in Burundi, Landry Ninteretse finds both cynicism and a determination to reject divisive ethnic politics.

Burundi Bikers Mobilise

16 volunteers from the Amahoro Youth Club lead a peace parade of over 100 bikers across the city of Bujumbura.

Cohabitation and Survival in the Peace Village of Muriza

Report on the severe poverty and health problems affecting the inhabitants of a peace village in Burundi. Residents are former IDPs or refugees in Tanzania.

Elections Fears in Mabanda

With the upcoming elections, tensions are rising in Burundi. Political parties seem to be determined to win elections at all costs. Defamatory remarks, intimidations, bribes and unrealistic promises are used to convince voters.

From Guns to Garages

Landry Ninteretse with the story of how a training programme in mechanics by Maison Shalom is integrating former young combatants in Burundi.

No More War!

Report on independent resolution of land conflicts in Rumonge, Burundi, outside the government National Land and Other Properties Commission (NLOPC) scheme.

The Joys and Pains of Sharing Land in Makamba

The conflict over land in Burundi continues to spread tensions.Tubiyage Association in partnership with UNICEF launched a project for peaceful resolution of land-conflicts in Makamba.

From the Editors

Burundi Early Warning Election Project, April 2010
The last couple of years have seen a number of highly impressive developments in the use of mobile phones to monitor conflicts and humanitarian disasters. Now, the African Great Lakes Initiative (AGLI) of the Friends Peace Teams has created the Burundi Early Warning Project to use the mobile platform to collect information and report on upcoming elections in Burundi. In this way, they will be able to identify flashpoints and enable communities to respond to potentially dangerous situations. Given the fears of violence for these elections, this grassroots information could turn out to be invaluable.

Mob violence in Burundi (April 2010).. Human Rights Watch have just released a long (105 pages) report on mob violence, finding that the “authorities have at times been directly involved in public killings and beatings of suspected criminals, or have facilitated them by forming untrained “security committees” that operate at the margins of the law”.

Burundi – ‘Amnesty International submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review’ (December 2008): This report details wide-scale human rights abuses by state and non-state actors in Burundi. Unreported violence against women, torture and ill treatment and misadministration of justice are amongst the main themes in this report. ‘Between 2004 and 2006, an average of 1,346 women a year reported their cases…(of rape)… to Médecins sans Frontières (MSF).  Minors are also particularly at risk: in December 2006, 60 percent of reported rapes were committed against minors. The Burundian authorities are failing to exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and punish rape and other sexual violence, and the perpetrators often escape prosecution and punishment by the state.’

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Community Reconciliation through Sports and Culture

The brutal civil war that broke out in 1993 created sustained mistrust between Burundi’s two main ethnic groups of Hutus and Tutsis. Tutsi people, including large numbers of civil servants, often fled to urban areas, while Hutu people felt safest in the countryside but could not access cities. Since 1994, the National Olympic Committee has been creating opportunities for members of both groups to interact through sports and cultural events, encouraging reconciliation and dialogue.

In 1994, the National Olympic Committee organised the first Olympic Meeting in Bujumbura, just a few months after violent conflict broke out. Over a week, more than 5,000 people were involved including officials, spectators, 300 athletes and 70 artists, many of them amateurs. The event allowed people from Bujumbura communes which were ethnically divided or devastated by the war to meet and take the first steps towards reconciliation.

In 1998, 1999 and 2001, the same event was organised in Mugamba, Gitega and Ngozi respectively. In these countryside areas, the events helped many Tutsi people living in Bujumbura return to their home villages and interact with Hutu people. Traditional music groups also performed and were broadcast nationally on radio and TV, helping build a sense of national community. On the fringe of these sports and cultural activities, participants had opportunity to attend seminars and take part in debates on peacebuilding.

An estimated 20,000 people have taken part in the events. Olympic Meetings have helped break down fear and mistrust between rival communities. The first event, particularly, was a major achievement, given the extreme violence of the time and the fragmentation of Bujumbura communes along ethnic lines. Participants found that the activities could bridge ethnic divides; far from simply improving health and strength, sport can also promote crucial values such as the importance of dialogue and interaction.

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Conflict Resolution through Farming

Burundi faces a crisis over land, and the struggle to access or control land is now the main cause of many rural conflicts. This project aims to address the situation in Ryarusera and Bugarama, two areas which have seen a particularly high number of land disputes, by supporting farming activities, and promoting peaceful conflict resolution.

Participants are local farmers and are offered workshops in listening, mediation, conflict management, and conflict resolution, encouraging participants to resolve disputes out of court. ODDBU also provide more practical training in farming methods, as well as material support and have distributed more than 30,000 seedlings of wheat, potatoes, fruit and vegetables, as well as 170 goats, to 950 participants.

Reintegrating Ex-Combatants

This project, which ran from March to December 2008, aimed to re-establish former soldiers in society. It provided various income generating opportunities to help them become economically self-sufficient and integrated.

Demobilised soldiers can present a problem post-conflict, having sometimes lost their homes or livelihoods, and become estranged from their communities. Some reports suggest that the current insecurity in some parts of Burundi is largely caused by ex-combatants who have not been able to reintegrate socio-economically, and have resorted to criminal activities. This project therefore provided opportunities for income generation to reduce ex-combatants’ poverty, support their families, and promote community stability. 258 participants were successfully provided with livelihoods such as farming, carpentry, masonry and tailoring.

Reintegrating Child Soldiers

This project helps reintegrate child soldiers who served as combatants or were involved in various ways in the Burundian armed conflict. OBDDU works to demobilise children who were separated from their families, and help them return to their families or communities. They also provide healthcare, psychosocial counselling, educational and recreational activities, and skills training while the children are waiting to be reunited with their families. The project has successfully reintegrated 474 young people.

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Amahoro (’Peace’) Project

The aim of the Amahoro project is to strengthen the capacity of communities to resolve conflicts peacefully, particularly around the return of internally displaced people.  The project involves a series of workshops and training exercises that involve local people directly and trains them in peaceful conflict resolution and prevention – providing the skills to avoid and resolve violent conflicts independently. In preparation for general elections in 2010, the next phase of the project will be a series of workshops on citizen education, democratic participation and electoral processes running throughout 2009.

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The essence of the programme was to work with civil society organisations to build trust and collaboration within Burundian society, and help people identify and find solutions to problems standing in the way of peace.

Open minds

Maud Roure says Interpeace had an open mind about who to work with as long as they had the same approach and goals as Interpeace, were neutral and seen as such and had “convening power” from top to bottom of society. Interpeace is an unusual organisation, in that it can either work as an NGO or as a UN organisation. In this case they chose the former.

“It took about a year to find the Centre for Alert and Conflict Prevention (CENAP), our eventual partner. Our search involved trying to meet as many people as possible – Burundian authorities, donors, civil society organisations and others – both in the capital and outside it. Once we’d identified a shortlist, we sought views on their capability from people who knew them.”

But, says Roure, Interpeace was mindful of sensitivities while searching for a suitable partner.

“It can be difficult to deal with organisations that aren’t chosen, so we were careful not to focus explicitly on our search for a partner when we met local organisations. Some of those not chosen have nevertheless played a valuable role in the programme.”

CENAP was established in 2002 and initially focused on strengthening the role of media in conflict prevention but evolved to conflict resolution relating to demobilisation and land issues.

Checking lists

“We read their reports analysing the political situation, and thought they were very balanced and straightforward. We also spoke to their donors and another international organisation they were working with. CENAP was small – only 5 permanent staff – but there was a good fit because they were already doing dialogue work and research.”

CENAP and Interpeace carried out a mapping phase, holding consultations across the country, at different levels, about obstacles to peace. The results were presented to a ‘national group’ made up of 200 people from government, civil society and universities as well as representatives of the local groups consulted.

This group prioritised 4 out of 15 peacebuilding challenges :

• Disarmament of civilian population
• Transitional justice
• Unemployment
• The Presidential elections

The CENAP team then began to work with four groups, one for each priority, tasked with finding and testing possible solutions with a wider audience, in the hope of finding proposals that would be acceptable to the majority of the people of Burundi.

Success

Roure says Interpeace was fortunate to find such a genuinely impartial and established organisation as CENAP:

“This is especially difficult in post-conflict contexts where the crisis has often polarised society. For example in Rwanda (2000 – 2001) we did not manage tofind an organisation that was seen as neutral. There we adopted a different approach, identifying individuals who were interested and open, who then, over the next two years, formed a new NGO with whom we are still partnering.”

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CENAP has previously received funding from bodies such as InterPeace and Belgium Cooperation.

Recently, CENAP has facilitated regional forums in the implementation of the Project of Dialogue and Consultation run by BINUB and Burundian government, and also carried out a consultancy on people’s perceptions and views on the work done by national security forces (police and army).

Identifying Challenges to Long-term Peace

This is a 27-month peacebuilding programme, started in October 2007, and run by CENAP and Interpeace. The project collects views from a representative sample of the Burundian population through focus groups, interviews, and audiovisual sessions, in order to understand what ordinary people believe is needed to create long-term peace.

The initiative started with training for the CENAP team. CENAP then began to organise focus groups, interviews, and group meetings to collect the views of approximately 2,700 Burundians from various backgrounds. They involved local authorities, civil society organisations, women, young people, the police and army, refugees and internally displaced people, religious leaders, students, and demobilised soldiers in focus groups. Experts and key political players were also interviewed one-to-one.

After this first stage, CENAP convened a large forum of 100 people which was representative of Burundi’s various socio-economic groups. This national forum then set out to select the key peacebuilding priorities on which further research should focus. The CENAP team facilitated this process, developing consensus-based solutions to these priority issues.

In 2009, CENAP team started a second phase based on a participatory approach to find consensual solutions adapted to Burundian context to the identified challenges (Illegal circulation of weapons; poverty and unemployment; attitudes during elections; and justice and reconciliation). Dialogue groups have been created in communes and provinces to connect the four task-forces and grassroots community. These solutions will be presented at a National Forum for final validation and prioritization at the end of the year.

CENAP team is coordinating the work of the four task-forces which gather various expertises according to the theme.

The forum selected four key peacebuilding priorities to be expanded upon in future research:

• The illegal circulation of weapons;
• Poverty and unemployment;
• Attitudes during elections; and
• Transitional justice.

So far, the focus group discussions have demonstrated people’s enthusiasm for dialogue. Many groups felt that the problems which originally led to the war are unresolved. In Bugendana commune (Gitega province), participants said: ‘If politicians do not make up their minds, another war is possible.’ In Kamenge (Bujumbura), one participant commented: ‘If this kind of dialogue had been initiated in the 1970s, the 1993 war would have never happened.’

Whenever CENAP organised discussions in remote areas, participants expressed a sense of being excluded from politicians’ agenda. Rural populations expressed a deep concern that politicians are not working for the greater good, and that the justice system does not serve ordinary people. In Kamenge, one of the participants said ‘One cannot start by ploughing the top of the hill’ – emphasising the importance of involving people in the peace process from the bottom up.

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