Burundi: Fourth Republic (1996 - 2001)

Updated April 2005

The military coup provoked new Hutu uprisings and massacres of Tutsis which were put down by the army with vigor and brutality. In this period some 50 000 people lost their lives. About 700 000 people fled the country. Since these were mainly Hutus, the numbers of the guerrilla forces operating against the government were swelled (Kimber 1996).

The new government found itself internationally isolated and subjected to economic and military sanctions. This, combined with the raging civil war, combined to worsen the economy of the country and weaken the finances of the state (Mthembu-Salter 2002).

Buyoya attempted to stabilize the situation by engaging the internal wing of Frodebu in negotiations which resulted in a new power sharing agreement in 1998. An interim Constitution was adopted which legitimated Buyoya's rule, Frodebu members were included in the government and a three-year transition to civilian rule was announced (Mthembu-Salter 2002).

The external wing of Frodebu rejected the agreement and continued fighting. The overthrow of Mobuto Sese Seko removed the Congo as one of the primary bases of operation from the Hutu rebels. Under the new stresses this imposed, the rebel groups began to split into factions in favour of or against, negotiations with the government to end the war (Institute for Security Studies 2005).

Multiparty talks were begun in Arusha (Tanzania) that included most of the parties involved in the conflict. When the talks were judged to have yielded sufficient fruit, economic sanctions were lifted early the following year. Nevertheless the civil war continued to drag on as parties in the talks haggled over the details of transitional arrangements and reform of the military (Mthembu-Salter 2002).

The army meanwhile resorted to the classic counter-insurgency tactic of moving villagers into protected camps to isolate the population from the influence of the guerrillas and to deprive the latter of the provisions required for continuing the fight. These forced removals were resented by the primarily Hutu peasants who bore their brunt. In 1999 this policy was abandoned as a government concession to Hutu militias at the Arusha talks (Mthembu-Salter 2002, US Institute of Peace Library 2002).

In August 2000, under pressure from the international community, the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation agreement was signed by nineteen parties, including six of the rebel groups. Four rebel groups declined to sign (Institute for Security Studies 2005).

In February 2001 the Forces Nationales pour la Libération (FNL) invaded Bujumbura and only in March did the army regain control of the whole of the capital. Meanwhile disaffection with the peace process expressed itself in two attempted coups in that year (Mthembu-Salter 2002).

References

INSTITUTE FOR SECURITY STUDIES 2005 "Burundi: Political System and history", [www] http://www.iss.co.za/AF/profiles/Burundi/Politics.html [opens new window] (accessed 22 Oct 2007).

KIMBER, C 1996 "Coming to terms with barbarism in Rwanda and Burundi" IN International Socialism 73, December, [www] http://pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/isj73/kimber.htm [opens new window] (accessed 22 Oct 2007)

MTHEMBU-SALTER, G 2002 "Self-Determination Regional Conflict Profile: Burundi" IN Self determination in focus, Foreign Policy In Focus, [www] http://www.selfdetermine.org/conflicts/burundi_body.html [opens new window] (accessed 22 Oct 2007).

US INSTITUTE OF PEACE LIBRARY 2002 Arusha peace and reconciliation agreement for Burundi, [www] http://www.usip.org/library/pa/burundi/pa_burundi_08282000_pr1.html [opens new window] (accessed 22 Oct 2007).