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BURUNDI: No peace without prosperity – analysts

Poverty, selfish political interests and inadequate economic development are the underlying causes of the political crisis gripping Burundi, according to political analysts. "The whole thing is almost Darwinian: too many people, too little land, an antiquated economy, a runaway demography and no prospects for economic growth," Gerard Prunier, a historian on eastern and central African affairs, told IRIN via e-mail. Prunier, author of a respected book on Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, The Rwanda...

BURUNDI: One word blocking peace process

An attempt by regional mediators to revive the peace process between the government and the rebel Forces nationales de libération (FNL) hit a snag on 6 November after the rebels rejected a name-change proposal. Officials of the Regional Peace Initiative for Burundi, led by South African safety and security minister Charles Nqakula, were in Bujumbura, the capital, to urge the two parties to speed up the process ahead of a 31 December deadline. "The mandate [of the mediation process] will not...

BURUNDI: Villagers flee as rebel fighters attack splinter group's position

Fighters of Burundi's last active rebel group have for the second time in one week attacked a position occupied by a break-away faction, forcing villagers to flee their homes, a senior military official said. The evening raid by combatants of the Front National de Liberation (FNL), led by Agathon Rwasa, took place on 24 October evening on a site where the so-called FNL "dissidents" have gathered in Gakungwe village of Kabezi commune in Bujumbura Rural province. It forced hundreds of people...

BURUNDI: Assessment to determine whether FNL "dissidents" are genuine

Mediators in Burundi's peace process are investigating whether members of the country's last active rebel group, who have fallen out with their leader and expressed a willingness to join the process, were genuine combatants with the movement. “We will not just sit and make an assessment and say that they are FNL combatants without testing," said the head of the mediation team, Charles Nqakula, who is also South Africa’s security minister. The men say they fought for the Forces nationales de...

BURUNDI: Nkurunziza strikes deal to end political stalemate

After many weeks of a political deadlock that saw the Burundian parliament fail to pass any laws, President Pierre Nkurunziza has announced a deal with opposition parties to end the stalemate, a move welcomed by political analysts and observers as positive for the country's peace process. "Burundi needs to settle this internal political crisis; and we can only welcome Nkurunziza's change of tone since his previous speech in August, which was critical of the opposition," David Mugnier, the...

BURUNDI: Calm returns as army warns it may crack down on rebels

Residents of Buterere commune near the Burundian capital of Bujumbura have returned to their homes after fleeing clashes between rebel factions that left 20 fighters dead. An uneasy calm enveloped the commune, with residents saying the fighters had left the area. The Burundian army, however, vowed to crack down on the rebels unless they abandon their current positions. "Our defence forces did not react quickly to calls to chase the combatants away from the population's neighbourhood," the...

BURUNDI: Peace process must be concluded by year-end - mediator

The mediator in the Burundian peace process, South Africa's security minister Charles Nqakula, has said a lasting peace accord between the government of Burundi and the rebel group that remains outside the peace process must be concluded by year-end. "We got instructions from the African Union to complete the mission by the end of this year," Nqakula told IRIN on 29 August after meeting Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza. The Forces nationales de libération (FNL), led by Agathon Rwasa, is...