Update on Governance Reform in Burundi

Posted 19 March 2007

On 27 February 2007 the Peacebuilding Commission Support Office hosted a discussion on Burundi: Governance Reform: Enhancing Democracy and Democratic Participation. The purpose of this informal thematic discussion was to obtain relevant information for the formulation of advice and recommendations for the peacebuilding process in Burundi. Insight gained from the meeting will be utilized concerning the creation of an integrated peacebuilding strategy for Burundi.

Challenges for good governance in Burundi
The primary dilemma facing Burundi is the struggle for balance between power and governance, or in other words balance between needs and the resources to meet those needs. The crucial question to be examined in any post-conflict state, as in Burundi, is the ability to strike a good balance between freedom and responsibility. This balance must be established between the government and its citizens, the media and society, as well as with Burundi and the international community.

The humanitarian crisis, compacted by extreme poverty, in Burundi is causing the economic and social foundations of the state to waver. Additional dilemmas encountered by Burundians include a disaffection of its school children as many are too hungry to attend the poorly constructed educational system currently in place. The key to overcoming these issues and ensuring economic and social stability, a vital test in any post-conflict state, is to ensure that micro-economic stabilization remains in balance with the social needs of the people.

Of all the challenges facing good governance in a post-conflict Burundi is that of the growing poverty epidemic. Good governance initiatives cannot take root in the extreme poverty conditions which continue to plague Burundi. 70% of the population lives on less than $1 a day. One third of the population was displaced during the conflict and there is a very high incidence of poverty and malnutrition among the internally displaced peoples. The infrastructure of the state has been destroyed during the chaos of the violence. The educational system was almost completely destroyed in the conflict and access to education is among the lowest of any state in Africa. These issues in and of themselves are sufficient to stifle any state, and in the post-conflict atmosphere of Burundi, the combination is perilous.

What is good governance and why is it important
The promotion of good governance was one of the three priority areas established in the first Country-Specific Meeting on Burundi held on 13 October 2006. The issue of good governance in post-conflict societies is crucial to the sustainability of the peace process as a collapse of the governance structures of a state are often a large contributing force to the outbreak of the violence. During the conflict, the violence overshadows weak governance, which is why governance is often such a difficult issue to address in the peacebuilding process. Establishing good governance in post-conflict states begins with a focus on smooth institutional and leadership transitions. States should not neglect the importance of the transitioning of the leadership in favor of the importance of the transition of the institutions. In Burundi there is a neglect of the importance of ensuring that the leadership is progressing as it should be, as people are more concerned with the infrastructure of the state rather than the institution, an error in judgment which must be corrected in order to move forward.

Within the early stages of peacebuilding, the first one to three years, the main focus is the prevention of the re-emergence of the conflict. As such, the international community must develop national capacities to sustain peace. Good governance is essential to the peacebuilding process and conflict prevention. In an effort to promote good governance, there needs to be a sub-regional dimension to peacebuilding and conflict prevention as many conflicts have a trans-national dimension, especially in the great lakes region.

In the fall of 2006, members of the Peacebuilding were concerned about the tension between power and governance. Power is a delicate balance and maintaining equilibrium is a positive sign of success in peacebuilding. The question of governance is actually concerned with whether or not both the government and the opposition party have the capacity to draw on international assistance through which the grievances and the needs of the people are met through democratic means. Often this ability is impeded by a crisis in confidence in which the people of a particular state do not trust the government to not be corrupt or to protect the best interest of the people.

Promoting good governance in peacebuilding is a delicate issue as it moves sovereign issues, such as the domestic balance of power, to the international arena and opens them up for debate. Therefore, it is important that Burundi play an active role in restructuring governance within her borders and take ownership of the process. The Peacebuilding Commission must promote the basic understanding of the link between the government and the people. This allows for the peaceful redress of grievances, draws all people into dialogue, and focuses the role of civil society. Burundi and the international community must not allow issues such as control of the peacebuilding process and sovereignty to hinder the movement toward peaceful democratization as a tool rather than violence along ethnic lines.

Creating a system of good governance in Burundi has highlighted the need for the creation of an integrated peacebuilding strategy in conjunction with the Peacebuilding Commission. Burundi must take care not to overload the national agenda with too many development programs, ensure that political and social inclusion needs to be both a goal and a means of peacebuilding, and attempt to increase the involvement of local and regional donors. Good governance is a fundamental pre-requisite to development or the capacity of a state to provide basic services which are fundamental to the post-conflict reconstruction. This is why good governance is among the three priority areas established by the Peacebuilding Commission for Burundi.

Collaborative steps toward improving the quality of governance
Burundi, as well as many other post-conflict states, faces the questions of legitimacy: being accepted by the international community at large and the great Lakes Region in particular, as a stable and sovereign state. The constructive engagement of Burundi with the Peacebuilding Commission has laid the groundwork for establishing said legitimacy. The allocation of monetary assistance from the Peacebuilding fund has increased the legitimacy of Burundi as has international support for the peacebuilding process.

Burundi has made incorporating peacebuilding dialogue into the political arena a priority. Burundi is looked at as a state in the rebuilding phases and is gaining international, regional, and sub-regional legitimacy. This legitimacy is derived from the accomplishments of Burundi in upholding the peace agreements although the issues of decentralization and disarmament are still issues of the peace agreement which as of yet have not been fully realized.

The World Bank has agreed to grant Burundi a loan of 127 million dollars. As a condition of the loan, the World Bank has been asked by Burundi to focus its efforts on building good governance, and the World Bank intends to comply. In this capacity, the World Bank has instituted an anti-corruption and leadership program in Burundi. The World Bank loan is being accompanied by technical assistance in the hope that this will give the government of Burundi the opportunity to improve its governance structure.

As a sign of improvement, in reference to future elections, many political players in Burundi are rising to the challenge of good governance. There has been increased dialogue between the media, civil society and political leaders. There have been internal shifts in the ruling party toward more moderate political stances as well as an increased tendency for government committees to support opposition initiatives, a sign of developing bi-partisanship. These will be beneficial concerning the raising of confidence building measures in contrast to fears of corruption.

The issue of the incorporation of women into the governance process is one that has been examined closely in Burundi and upon which great importance has been laid. This process allows women to come to terms with their past victimization, as well as to contribute to the peacebuilding process with their unique perspective. Burundian women have suffered greatly during the course of the violence as victims of rape and the illicit use of arms against them. These offences in combination with the extreme poverty level have fostered a decrease in the life expectancy of women from 60 years to 39 years.

During the 2000 elections, the All Burundi conference was held in which the rights of women were a central issue. There was pressure for society to come to terms with rape, property issues, security and the education of girls and women. Burundi has implemented a 30% requirement that major government structures and institutions must employ 30% of its seats to women. 35% of those allocated seats are in sectors that are not considered to be traditionally soft areas of government.

The European Union is playing a particularly significant role in the peacebuilding process of Burundi, specifically in the area of good governance. The European Community Programs will be contributing 22 Million dollars for the improvement of good governance practices. These practices include promoting the rule of law, promoting transparency especially in the management of natural resources, and decentralization. As of yet, there has been an extreme centralization of the economic, political, and social sectors.

The movement towards good governance in Burundi includes incorporating the goals outlined in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. Belgium, among other donors, is playing a significant role in ensuring that the provisions of the PRSP are carried out. Belgium is contributing 60 million euros for peacebuilding and one fourth of the funds are allocated to Burundi. These funds will be used to promote justice and the rule of law, for police training and decentralization for local development plans.

Further Steps to be Taken
A recent survey of Burundians asked what peace in Burundi would mean to the people. An overwhelming number of Burundians cited the ability to eat one meal a day as the number one indicator of peace in their country. To be able to travel without fear and to relate to others without fear were also mentioned as primary indicators of a successful peace process. This response by the Burundian people demonstrates the sever nature of the humanitarian crisis in Burundi.

Burundi cannot build a successful civil society without impunity for past acts and atrocities committed during the violence, as such, the promotion of transitional justice is one area of governance which should be made a priority in Burundi. Peace can only be built on the rule of law. There are several avenues that Burundi may take to ensure that the rule of law is upheld, whether through the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, new courts to be established, or through the existing courts and means.

The Peacebuilding Commission must promote the basic understanding of the link between the government and the people. This allows for the peaceful redress of grievances, draws all people into dialogue and focuses the role of civil society. The Peacebuilding Commission, Burundi, and the international community must not allow issues such as who is in control and sovereignty to hinder the movement toward peaceful democratization as a tool rather than violence along ethnic lines.

Burundi has no intention of regressing. The main concern of Burundi, currently, is to feed its people. Reconciliation is also a goal as it will bring total and lasting peace. The healthcare system, and educational opportunities for all children among other social and economic development initiatives are also priorities to good governance in Burundi. Politically, Burundi must strengthen the national assemblies and the parliament. The parliament is a very young institution as it was established by the Arusha Accords in 2000. The parliament has a positivist, inclusionary measure for both ethnic groups and women. The main question of the parliament is how to put the provisions of the constitution into action.

Burundi asks the international community not to place too many road blocks, conditions, or obligations as the country still needs time to grow. The ambassador from Burundi urged the international community to “come and lead us by the hand.” One way in which assistance is welcome is in the form of increased inclusion of the international community in the development of Burundi’s political and social sectors as both a goal and a means of peacebuilding. There needs to be an increased involvement of local and regional donors. Maintaining the two tier balance of power, both between Burundi and the international community and within Burundi, is crucial to the promotion of peace through good governance.

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Prepared by Ashley Hatchel