USAID/OTI Burundi Field Report
July 2003
Program Description
Program Goals and Objectives
USAID/OTI's goal in Burundi is to instill good governance
and the active and informed participation of citizens. To
work towards this goal, OTI has the following objectives:
- To increase active and informed discussions among people of diverse ethnic groups about common public issues.
- To encourage the evolution of government institutions at all levels to be more transparent and accountable.
To achieve these objectives, USAID/OTI is supporting:
Burundi Initiative for Peace
The Burundi Initiative for Peace (BIP), implemented with the International
Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), provides a series
of small grants to encourage popular support for APRA and
for the transitional government. The small grants program
works in targeted geographic areas to support ac-tivities
that maintain the momentum for peace.
COUNTRY SITUATION
From July 7 through July 12, an estimated 40,000 people were
displaced from their homes, over 170 people died, and many
more wounded when Agathon Rwasa’s wing of PALIPEHUTU–FNL
rebel movement attacked the capital city Bujumbura with mortars
and grenades. These attacks, believed to be the worst since
the war broke out in 1993, resulted in the evacuation of non-essential
personnel in several embassies, including the U.S. Embassy,
the United Nations, and international NGOs.
According to the Burudian Army commander of the first military
region, the rebels suffered heavy losses during the attack
on Bujumbura. An estimated 310 rebels died, twenty of whom
were reported to be children between the ages of ten and fourteen.
Following the attacks FNL spokesman, Pasteur Habimana, said
that, “perhaps we cannot take the capital, but we can
oblige our enemies to make con-cessions.” Habimana also
stated that the latest fighting has “forced the Tutsi
to leave the comfort of their homes and become displaced just
like the Hutu are used to being. It’s bound to make
them think.”
Following the attacks on the capital, the Great Lakes Regional
Initiative, composed of the heads of state of Burundi, DRC,
Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, issued an ultimatum to the PALIPEHUTU-FNL,
to unconditionally stop fighting and join the ongoing peace
negotiations within three weeks. Tanzanian President Benjamin
Mkapa, Deputy Chairman of the Initiative, said that this is
the last chance for the FNL faction to stop their unjustified
violence and join the cease-fire talks.
Despite the ultimatum, the PALIPEHUTU-FNL rebels continue
to impose taxes on the population to meet the medical expenses
of wounded rebels and those who lack finances tend to flee.
Those who do not yield to the rebels’ cause are pursued,
terrorized, and seriously punished in addition to being fined
by the this FNL faction.
The Burundian government and the CNDD-FDD rebel group led
by Pierre Nkurunziza was able to reach agreement in the areas
of legal, military, and political issues during the peace
talks that ended in Dar-es-Salaam on July 20th. Reportedly,
previous points of contention regarding whether or not the
CNDD-FDD will qualify as a political party and be able to
join the government have been resolved. Despite the resolution
of these issues, regular clashes between the Burundian military
and the CNDD-FDD rebels continue with civilian dead and wounded
and houses looted and destroyed.
The Commission for the Implementation of the Arusha Peace
Accord (APRA) has reiterated its appeal to the Burundian government
to release political prisoners, as stipulated by the agreement.
The Com-mission has also asked the government to take measures
to ensure that the legislative reforms are not limited to
correcting political, ethnic, and regional differences, but
that these new laws address the is-sues of democracy, good
governance, and human rights.
HIGHLIGHTS
A. Narrative Summary
Due to the unfortunate security situation, OTI’s programs
were significantly interrupted during July. The OTI country
representative was evacuated, the program officers were unable
to travel to the field, and sub-grantees were unable to continue
projects.
B. 2002 Grants Activity Summary
Only one grant was signed during July. A grant to Radio Bonesha
allowed two journalists to cover the recent ceasefire talks
in Dar-es-Salaam that ended July 20.
Grant Amount: $3,662
C. Program Appraisal
At the present time, issues of security are causing serious
challenges for the implementation of the program.
NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
- Complete the midterm program review, which is currently
being conducted by OTI/Washington.
- Make programmatic adjustments to ensure that the program
is implemented successfully despite the on-going security
issues.
For further information, please contact:
In Washington, D.C.: Carlisle J. Levine, Program Manager at 202-712-0955 or clevine@usaid.gov
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