Burundi

The Republic of Burundi, a small landlocked nation, is situated at a distinctive geographical juncture between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa. Burundi’s location within the Great Rift Valley produces a varied terrain with mountains, plateaus, lowlands, and Lake Tanganyika‘s shores among other features. Burundi sits west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, east and southeast of Tanzania, and north of Rwanda. Its historical path and developmental processes have been much influenced by this strategic location.

The political and economic centers of the country are respectively Gitega, the capital city, and Bujumbura, the biggest metropolitan center. With a small fraction of its population living in cities, Burundi is still essentially a rural country. With agriculture providing the basic basis for subsistence among many Burundians, the rural character is essentially ingrained in the identity and economic system of the country.

With the Twa, Hutu, and Tutsi people coexisting in Burundi for at least five hundred years, the country’s history is multifarious and complicated. Burundi ran as an independent kingdom with unique political and cultural customs for almost two hundred years. The late 19th century was a time of great change marked by growing influence of European colonial powers all around Africa. Burundi’s colonial era began in 1885 when it was included into German East Africa.

Burundi’s colonial position changed at the end of World War I. After Germany lost, the League of Nations assigned the area—along with surrounding Rwanda—to be under Belgian administration. During this time the two territories were united to create a single entity known as Rwanda-Urundi. Following World War II, the mandate became a United Nations Trust Territory, which set the stage for Burundi’s ultimate independence.

After gaining its freedom in 1962, Burundi first kept its royal government system. Still, this was only temporary. The 1966 coup brought the monarchy to fall and created a one-party republic, starting a phase marked by political unrest and ethnic tensions that greatly affected Burundi’s post-independence story.

Burundi had great difficulties building its country in the next decades, usually hampered by ethnic conflict and authoritarian government. Under several Tutsi-led governments, the country experienced repeated conflicts between the Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority that periodically turned violent. The 1972 Hutus genocide marks a very alarming chapter in history that left psychological effects on the country long-lasting.

Following the first multi-party presidential election in Burundi, Melchior Ndadaye took on the position of first Hutu president in 1993, ushering a major change. But tragically, this important event was cut short. Just three months into his presidency, Ndadaye’s murder set off a disastrous 12-year civil war that left the country in constant flux.

The beginning of the new millennium set off a series of more vigorous initiatives meant to promote peace and healing. Established in 2000, the Arusha Agreement laid the groundwork for a political framework meant to address fundamental causes of conflict and promote national unity. Aiming to build a more inclusive and democratic governance structure, this agreement was very important in determining the 2005 constitution.

The National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD–FDD) has dominated the political scene of Burundi since the post-war elections of 2005. When compared with the years of the civil war, this period has shown some stability; nevertheless, claims of authoritarian policies and violations of human rights eclipse the party’s leadership, highlighting the ongoing challenges in Burundi’s quest for democracy and efficient government.

Burundi faces many challenges now in its quest for stability and development. The country’s demographic profile shows a notable number of young people combined with rapid population growth that strains the limited resources and opportunities greatly. Along with economic difficulties, the present demographic situation has driven many young Burundians to seek possibilities abroad, leading to a significant brain loss.

With a low GDP per capita and limited industrial development, Burundi is positioned as among the least wealthy nations on Earth. With an eye toward subsistence farming methods especially, the nation’s economy still depends much on agriculture. Along with high population density, reliance on agriculture has caused significant environmental problems including habitat destruction, soil erosion, and deforestation. Data showing that by 2005 less than 6% of Burundi’s land was forested, with more than half of that area set aside for commercial plantations, reflects the obvious evidence of these environmental challenges.

Notwithstanding many obstacles, Burundi shows a rich cultural legacy and notable linguistic diversity. The official languages of Burundi—Kirundi, French, and English—indicate its historical background and objectives for both regional and international integration. Considered the only national language, Kirundi serves as a cohesive element among the several ethnic groups making up the Burundian population.