Bujumbura - History

Origins and history of Burundi population are not known. What is certain, though, is that on the arrival of the first white explorers and missionaries, Burundi was an old united Kingdom , and its borders remained almost the same, unlike other African countries in which borders were artificially set by colonization. It is worth mentioning that Burundi was occupied by Germany at the end of the 19th century before being put under Belgian control after World War I.

There are 3 social groups or groups improperly called "ethnic groups": Hutu, Tutsi and Twa.

Unlike real ethnic groups, Burundians have spoken one and the same unique language - Kirundi - for a long time. They share the same values and live in the same villages. They all live on agriculture combined with livestock.
There is no historical or identity reference which distinguishes them.
Nevertheless, the Batwa are not well integrated into the social order. They do marry among their own families and don’t like to practice agriculture. In some areas, they are even disappearing.

Destroyed house in Tutsi Attack, Bujumdura Burundi.

Despite the cultural, territorial and administrative unity of the Burundi people, their recent history has been characterised by tribal wars between Hutu and Tutsi, the height of which was reached in 1993.

This date means the assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye and the beginning of systematic massacres of Tutsi and Hutu who had not supported the Frodebu party. Since then, many people from both sides have died.

Negotiations have been taking place for two years in Arusha, Tanzania, between all the Burundi parties and political movements in an effort to put an end to violence and find a new peace formula for all. The negotiations should be concluded before the end of 1996. Tribal divisions were introduced for the first time in Burundi by the Belgian colonial administration in 1945, using the policy of "divide and rule". Before that period, there is no indication of tribal conflict between local communities.

But, one should not be mistaken because the great majority of the population (all the communities together) continue to live together as before on the same hills, they go to church, school, markets, bars and fetch water from the same springs. Hundred of thousands of tutsis continue living in displaced camps though, fearing death at the hands of their former hutu neighbours who burnt and destroyed their property, they are pushing to flee. Hundred of thousands of hutus also live under difficult humanitarian conditions in protection sites for security reasons, the objective being to protect them from the rebels.

Hill councils are being held as usual and private ceremonies are still good occasions for gathering everyone. Social relations have not been affected by war except in the border areas.
"Burundi Today" wants to emphasise on that indestructible umbilical cord. Burundi has been ruled since the beginning of the internal peace process in 1998 by an internal partnership for peace made up of two transitional institutions : the Government and the National Assembly. This partnership is in fact a Government of national coalition set as a triumvirate at the head of the country.

Headed by the President of the Republic, Pierre BUYOYA, (right) he has a First Vice-President, Frederic BAMVUGINYUMVIRA, from the National Assembly. Bamvuginyumvira is from a party and a social group different from those of the President of the Republic. Buyoya's Second Vice-President is Mathias SINAMENYE, an economist and university professor.

The National Assembly has been presided over by Leonce NGENDAKUMANA for 6 years. It is structured on the same model so as to integrate all political and social wings.

These institutions will probably be replaced in the year 2000 by new institutions based on consensus and which are under debate in Arusha, Tanzania under the facilitation of the former South African president Nelson MANDELA , who, in December 1999, replaced the former Tanzanian President Julius NYERERE, who died in October 1999. Political pluralism is guaranteed by the constitution and almost twenty political parties are registered.

Burundi’s eight year civil war has resulted in the death of at least 200,000 people, and the country now faces one of the most acute problem of population displacement in Africa today. Displacement is a consequence of both ongoing violence, bad climate conditions and planned action by the government under the “regroupment policy”. In 1999 the Burundian government forcibly resettled up to 350,000 people in 'regroupment' camps in an apparent effort to protect them from rebel attacks. Situated in camps in the hills of Bujumbura province and guarded by the Burundian military, up to 35,000 people were held in each camp with minimal facilities. In August 2000 these camps were finally dismantled in accordance with the South African imposed pre-requisite for continuing peace negotiations. Since then the government has again resorted to forced regroupment as high levels of insecurity persist, particularly in the Ruyigi and Bjumbura rural provinces.

Statistics are deceptive as they only reflect long-term displacement and many people have been displaced more than once. In mid 2002 there were some 387,469 of the estimated 487,500 IDPs in 226 camps across the country, roughly half of whom were children. Chronic insecurity and problems of access have made it impossible to count displaced people outside the cities. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people may be dispersed in the countryside. The UN estimates that some 80,000 were displaced in the first months of 2002, and a further 30,000 in mid-2002.. In September it was reported that a process of voluntary villigisation was beginning to taking place in IDP camps in both the central province of Gitega and northern province of Ngozi, driven by a need for improved security and a sense of permanence. A major obstacle to a long-term solution for IDP’s is the scarcity of land, with disputes over land worsening considerably in recent years due to massive population displacements.

Burundians constitute the second largest single group of refugees (Afghans constituting the largest) with 521,000 refugees living mainly in refugee camps in Tanzania. Burundi has raised concerns that these camps serve as a support base for the FNL rebels. A tri-partite agreement signed by the Governments of Burundi and Tanzania and the UNHCR in May 2002 provideds the framework for the voluntary repatriation of Burundian refugees. By September over 40,000 Burundian refugees has returned from Tanzania, but an upsurge in conflict led to the number of returnees dropping dramatically, as well as a fresh influx of Burundians back into Tanzania.
 

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of mortality in Burundi. In 1994 the rate of HIV infection was estimated at 15% in urban areas and 1% in rural areas. Rates are particularly high in IDP sites. In December 1998 the urban infection rate was put at 21% and the rural rate at 6%. Over 40,000 children are thought to have been orphaned by AIDS. The government estimates that three-quarters of the hospital beds are occupied by HIV/AIDS patients. Frequent displacement, combined with political insecurity, has exacerbated the spread of HIV/AIDS as families and stable communities have disintegrated and health services broken down.