Uncertainty Engulfs the Future of Burundi
Asked
about what I thought is next for Burundi, I simply said I am not sure I know.
If you hear reports of political events characterized by chanting of ethnic
slogans in a country where more than 300,000 people died in ethnic violence in
the last civil war (1993-2005), then you get to find reason to be worried.
Worried, not necessary because it will happen again but simply because you can vividly
remember when and how it happened and that you are conscious of the possibility
of it happening all over again. Any calls to divide people based on ethnicity must
be treated very seriously indeed.
But
come to think of Burundi and you will realize that it is a strikingly beautiful
country, filled with wonderful landscapes and people. And yet the current
situation is so precarious and full of risks that even a scene so apparently
full of joy carries with it fears that there may be something menacing lurking
beneath. The country is trapped in a very complex political crisis that has
caused deaths of over 1,000 people since the first anti-government protests in
April 2015, precipitated by the decision of President Pierre Nkurunziza to
stand for a controversial third term as president. His decision was to be
fiercely (at times violently) opposed by the opposition groups, section of the media,
much of domestic civil society, including the influential Catholic Church, as
well as many in the international community. They viewed it as a violation of
the Arusha Accords that restored peace and stability in Burundi after the civil
war, and included presidential term limits. Over 250,000 have fled the country so
far (from a population of ten million) and the economy is hurting. I have not forgotten
that Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world. Adding conflict to
poverty begets something worse than misery.
Beyond
the damage already done lies the fear that much worse could yet come. Burundi
has a tragic history of inter-ethnic violence, and both local and international
observers have warned of possibilities of mass violence. In such a situation
when you ask me what I think of the future of Burundi, at least, in the
immediate foreseeable future, I only see a huge crowd. No I cannot see; I cannot
see clearly. Uncertainties. That is all I see. We, everybody in our own small
and big ways need to do something about the situation in Burundi. We need to
help clear this uncertainty and let the beautiful people of Burundi build their
own beautiful country. There is always something that can be done.
Uncertainty Engulfs the Future of Burundi
Reviewed by Ibrahim Magara
on
June 27, 2016
Rating:
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