Washington, DC — Burundi's socio-political history has been a complex mix of power, domination and marginalization. It has experienced bouts of armed conflicts and massacres between Hutus and Tutsis, much like its neighbor, Rwanda. A landmark peace deal signed in August 2000 and a series of ceasefire agreements between the army and various armed groups laid out a path to peace and reconciliation, the latest achievement being the May 2005 ceasefire agreement between the army and the Palipehutu-FNL. Continued fighting has been reported in some areas of the country. The peace process involved a series of local and national polls, culminating in the election of Pierre Nkurinziza, a Hutu, as president. He was sworn in on August 26, 2005.
Burundi's Minister of External Relations and International Cooperation, Antoinette Batumubwira, was in Washington,DC last week and spoke with AllAfrica about Burundi's post-conflict challenges and efforts.
What is the purpose of your visit to Washington, DC?
I came to Washington, DC with my president who was the head of the delegation of Burundi. We came here mainly to meet with the president of the World Bank, the director general of the IMF, the director of USAID and we also had an opportunity to meet the national security advisor of President Bush.
Before we came to Washington we were in New York where we had many meetings and our president made a statement at the UN General Assembly and also at the high level summit on the Millennium Development Goals. This first trip out of the country since the new government was set up is to make our country known as a country of peace and a country that is ready to rebuild and develop its economy.
We came to make sure people understand that Burundi is ready to start development and show an example of a country that is able to come from 12 years of war and get ready for development, because we went through a process of negotiations and elections that went very well. Now we are on the right track to start the development of the country.
Post-conflict challenges generally involve rehabilitation, reconstruction, and reconciliation. What is currently being done in Burundi in this regard?
We are really prepared for the big challenges ahead and they are big. But as I told you, we are very determined and our partners have understood the issues that we are going to face. We are confident that they will support us as much as they supported us during the negotiations and during the transition. All the contacts we've had, all the discussions have been really fruitful. They are ready to help us in terms of funding the programs that we're starting for education, for health, for agriculture and also for reconciliation. The president had discussions with the Secretary General of the United Nations in New York and they have talked about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Judiciary Commission that will help Burundians to reconcile completely with themselves. We are really confident that this trip and subsequent ones will help us show how we are determined and how our programs are really based on the real needs of the population, a population that has chosen the program that we are going to implement. We are very confident. The challenges are big, but we will work on that and I am sure that we will achieve them.
Let us take one program. Your government has announced that it is introducing free basic education. There were reports that as a result, Burundi's education system has been overwhelmed, especially in regards to human resources and infrastructure. What is the purpose of this free basic education program, and what are you planning to do to address the issue of insufficient resources?
For this first year, it is true. It is going to be, and it is really a big challenge. But it is a very important program that we are starting and the political will and the will of the president to start this program of free education is very important for the people.
If you can imagine that almost 300,000 children couldn't go to school, then you can understand how we were overwhelmed by the numbers. We didn't know that they were so many, but we will try to make sure that all of them get at least the minimum. This year will not be perfect, that's true, but we have to start somewhere. We can't wait and wait until everything is set up. We will use whatever facilities we can get, whatever resources we can get, so that we try at least to cater for all these children. They will go to school in churches, wherever there will be an available facility.
We have discussed with our partners and they are ready to fund this program as soon as possible. We have talked to Unicef, and they have a program they call - I think - mobile school or something like that, and they are ready to help as soon as possible and make sure that this year, even if it's not perfect, we will start with this program and next year will be better. Permanent schools will be built very soon with the funding that we are going to have. We are confident. We're not saying that every child will have a desk, a chair and plenty of copy books. That's not possible. Even in other countries where they have good schools, they don't have all the facilities for all the children the first year. So we think that we have to start. It's important for people to understand that they can send their children to school without paying. It will be a challenge for a while, but we have to start somewhere.
You mentioned Unicef. Are there any other international organizations or groups that are supporting Burundi?
Yes. Burundi has been helped for many years by various United Nations agencies such as Unicef, UNDP, UNFPA. All of them have been supporting Burundi and in the discussions we had, they said they were ready to support even more because they are now working in a country that is recovering from war. They know that there are a lot of needs and they also know that we are determined to follow the program of good governance and the Anti-Corruption Act that is going to be adopted this month. The Anti-Corruption Brigade that will be set up to implement the law is also something that gives our partners and supporters confidence that we are going to manage the country the right way. The financial assistance they give, they know now that it is going to reach the people who really need it.
What about domestic resources to help in the reconstruction effort?
We are going to use as much as we can of our own resources before we start to ask for others. If we go outside to ask for help, it is because we have already used ours, so in terms of human capacity, we have what we have but we still need to be helped. We still need to strengthen our human resources. It doesn't mean that they're not doing anything. They are working as much as they can and if we need more then we go outside and seek help.
Related to this is the issue of refugees. What is the current refugee situation in Burundi and what is being done to get everybody on board to help with the reconstruction effort?
I will give you the same answer. Since the situation has improved, thanks to the election and especially now after the government has been set up and all the institutions are working, refugees are coming back to Burundi. They don't need to live in camps in neighboring countries when their own country is ready to receive them in peace. The President has met the High Commissioner for Refugees, and they have spoken about what type of help to give these people so that they can come back home from the countries where they live in exile, to bring them back home, to help them in transit camps first and then to help them resettle in their own properties if it is possible, or to manage some other possibility for them to come and live in the country and build the country and build their own future.
Burundi seeks to be a member of the East African Community. Why?
Because we believe that Burundi is not viable state if it is not linked to sub-regional organizations. As much as we will be able to join any sub-regional organization, we will join it. Actually we are in East Africa and in Central Africa, and we try to benefit from both sides. For East Africa, we will be joining Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and we have very close links with the people of these countries and their governments. It is therefore evident that we have to be part of that economic community comprising several countries. We are very happy to join them, because we already have economic and other links and this time we will be working together to get our country developed and economically strong. We are very, very happy to join that sub-regional organization.
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On peace and reconciliation in Burundi, there currently is a group in Burundi, the FNL, that says it is not ready to negotiate with the government but is willing to negotiate with ethnic leaders. How do you intend to resolve this impasse?
I do not believe that there is an impasse. We will negotiate with them and they will negotiate with us. We don't have ethnic leaders in Burundi. I do not know of any ethnic leader. Maybe if they tell us this is an ethnic leader, then maybe.... but I don't think that they will find any. I don't think that we will have to negotiate with them as an ethnic group because this is no longer relevant. We went through elections. People have voted for people they'd like to represent them. They voted according to the programs that the political parties proposed. We have never spoken about "ethnic leaders," so I really don't know where they are going to find them but I am sure that they will come to understand that the country has changed and that the way to relate to politics through ethnic groups is not relevant anymore. That's really good for the whole country.
The FNL accused the army of attacking them and that they only attack in self-defense.
I don't want to answer any more questions.
