Page 1 of 20
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 03
March 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 1
An analysis of the nature of Burundian conflicts in Light of 2015
Post Election Episode
Dr. Philemon Sengati (PhD)
The University of Dodoma
Department of Political Science and Public Administration
P.O. Box 395, Dodoma, Tanzania
Email: philemonsengati@gmail.com
1.0 ABSTRACT
This piece aimed at analyzing the nature of Burundian conflicts in light of 2015 post election
episode. The study adopted a descriptive research design where by data were collected through
literature review. The respective data were collected by reviewing different literatures such as
reports, articles, books, journals, newspaper as well as electronic media. The choice of the
respective research design was influenced by the distance factor but the relevance of such
sources in scientific analysis was a motivation too.
The study has come to the conclusion that conflict in Burundi is multifaceted in nature. It is more
ethnical oriented to the extent that ethnicity has been manipulated to escalate the conflict.
Moreover, the findings have come also to the conclusion that the conflict in Burundi is
associated with unequal distribution of national wealth and monopolization of power to the
extent that it has created the patron and client relationship in the Burundi community. The
findings revealed that, there have been a number of efforts, the Burundian Government,
International institutions as well as civil society organizations in mitigating the conflict but still
programmed actions are to be taken.
Page 2 of 20
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 03
March 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 2
From the findings, it is recommended that, Burundi should be committed to the implementation
of the Arusha agreement and other major pending policies, strategies and agreements and comply
with them as per the principle of “Pacta sunt servanda”. On top of that, there should be an
establishment of the High Court of Justice as required by the constitution and strengthen the
statutory safeguards for the independence of the judiciary and promote the independence of
judicial institutions and refrain from interfering in the course of justice. The opposition parties
should also stop manipulating the people on the basis of their ethnicity as it intensifies the
conflict. The conflicts associated with ethnic ties are much disastrous when they escalate and if
not stopped, they may lead into genocide like that of Rwanda. In that sense, the opposition
should know that the forces that make them together are stronger than what divide them apart.
2.0 Key Words: Nature, Conflict, and Post Election Episode
3.0 INTRODUCTION
The Burundi conflict has its scope and locus in the Great Lakes Region. The name Great Lakes
Region was derived from fresh water lakes and river basins within the central and Eastern part of
Africa (Khadiagala, 2006). Burundi is a small, landlocked country in the Great Lakes Region of
Africa, neighboring Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Burundi has
three ethnic groups, Hutu the majority about 85% of the population, Tutsi about 14% and Twa
the minority represents about 1% of the population. The country occupies an area of 27,834
square kilometers in size, with a population of 10.16 million (World Bank Report, 2013). It is the
second most densely populated country in Africa after Rwanda.
The Great Lakes Region of Africa, in which Burundi is situated, was a hot spot of instability
during the 1990’s (Daley, 2006). The similar ethnic make-up of neighboring Rwanda has
intertwined the politics of the two countries, with conflict in one state often sparking violence in
the other. After the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and the triumph of the Tutsi, Hutu rebels such as
the CNDD-FDD and the Palipehutu- FNL came pouring into Burundi from Rwanda to fight with
Page 3 of 20
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 03
March 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 3
the Burundian rebel groups. Burundi also became intertwined in the civil war in Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC). The government of Burundi was a member of the anti-Kabila
alliance, while the CNDD-FDD was funded for a time by the Kabila government. The instability
in the region through much of the 1990’s, fuelled by porous borders, allowed for ease of
movement of rebel groups, which often were based in one state and fighting in another (ICG
Report, 2002)
Burundi has been in tremendous conflicts since colonial period. In 1988, tensions in the Northern
provinces erupted into violence. An open letter signed by a group of Hutu intellectuals
condemned government repression and called for an end to ethnic discrimination and political
reforms to achieve egalitarian representation. The government of Tutsi president Buyoya also
came under pressure to reform from neighboring states and the West. In 1992, Buyoya altered
the constitution to permit multi-party elections, and the Hutu-dominated political party,
FRODEBU, achieved electoral success in June 1993. When Tutsi soldiers assassinated the new
civilian Hutu president in October 1993, armed Hutu groups retaliated against Tutsi civilians. By
the end of the year again, in 1994, the newly appointed FRODEBU president, Cyprien
Ntaryamira, was killed along with Rwandan president Habyarimana when their plane was shot
down. This event triggered the genocide in Rwanda, where Hutu militias killed approximately
800,000 civilians, most of them Tutsis (Mokoena, 2006). The Republic of Burundi applied for
EAC membership and officially became a member on 1st July 2007 together with the Republic
of Rwanda. According to Reyntjens (2000), the conflict in Burundi has to some extent stood as a
stumbling block toward development progress inside Burundi and to some of the counties in the
International community.
According to the report from the government of Burundi in 2013, Burundi was making the
transition from a post-conflict to a stable and growing economy (Masullo, 2014). After
significant improvement in security and peace consolidation, the country’s development program
was shifting towards modernizing public finance, strengthening basic social services, and
upgrading economic infrastructure and institutions, particularly in the energy, mining, and
