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by Nicole Kreger, MAIC
History
A monarchy ruled Burundi from the 17th century until it was overthrown
in 1966. After this overthrow, the First Republic went into effect, a
tumultuous time marked by the 1972 genocide of the Hutu community. In
1976, the First Republic government was overthrown, leading to the Second
Republic, headed by Jean Paptiste Bagaza. In 1987, Pierre Buyoya overthrew
him and created the Third Republic. Despite Buyoya’s efforts to bring
peace and unity to the country, violence similar to that of 1972 erupted
in 1988 between the Hutu and the Tutsi. Since 1993, Burundi’s ethnic-based
conflicts have reportedly claimed over 150,000 casualties. Genocide in
Rwanda in 1994 and the Zaire uprising in 1997 intensified the situation in
Burundi due to the significant population relocation from both of these
neighboring countries. Because of these conflicts, weapons could also be
transported readily, and considerable quantities of weapons—including
landmines seized from the former Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR)—became easier
to obtain.
Landmines/UXO Overview
The first landmine accidents were reported in 1993, but there was no
knowledge of a significant mine problem in Burundi until 1996. In those
three years, the problem intensified, most likely due to the deteriorating
state of security and the population overflows created by the
circumstances in Zaire and Rwanda. The FAR allegedly brought 40,000 AP
mines and 2,000 AT mines with them when they fled their country, greatly
exacerbating the situation.
According to the Ministry of Defense, "there are no
mined areas that could be identified as such," even with the numerous
conflicts that have occurred in Burundi. However, the Landmine Monitor
reports, "It seems certain that anti-personnel mines have been used in the
ongoing conflict in Burundi." It is probable that Burundian forces laid AP
mines on the border with Tanzania since at least 1999. They also
apparently used landmines to prevent rebels from entering government
territory, gaining access to military posts, damaging important economic
infrastructures and crossing the Tanzanian border. Additionally, mines
have been found along short cuts rather than main roads, suggesting that
the army was trying to disable rebels along the paths they commonly use.
Despite this evidence and allegations by rebels, the government
emphatically denies any use of mines, laying blame entirely on rebel
forces.
Casualties
In total, between 1993 and 1998, mines claimed 487 civilian lives and 304
military lives. This number peaked in 1997 and declined the following
year. Injuries up to 1998 totaled 187 (92 of them military personnel and
95 of them civilians). Reports also suggest that rebel forces sometimes
fall victim to their own traps, and many of these incidents go unreported.
In December 2000, one aid worker reported that accidents along the
Tanzanian border occurred at a rate of two per month. The National Army
has provided military landmine victims with prostheses and vocational
training, but these services are only available to the military. Other
survivors often take refuge in camps just inside the Tanzanian border, but
the areas surrounding such refugee camps are reportedly mined as well.
Demining
Because the Ministry of Defense does not consider the mine issue a
significant problem in Burundi, the government has no demining or
awareness programs. The military provides the only coordinated mine
clearance efforts for the country. No assessment has yet been made of the
scope of Burundi’s mine problem or its estimated cost. The Ministry of
Defense has indicated that the country is in desperate need of proper
detection equipment and that they have no capacity for mechanical mine
clearance.
Reality Check
Burundi signed the Ottawa Convention on December 3, 1997, but the country
has not yet ratified the treaty. As of January 2001, the ratification
process was proceeding on schedule, and one official said, "The only
problem that prevails is the persistence of war." Burundi is not known to
have manufactured or exported AP mines, and according to the Ministry of
Defense, the government has never bought them except for training
purposes.
Although the government has not established a mine
awareness program, UNICEF established an emergency program in April of
2001 for displaced persons. By working with the Department of Civil
Protection, UNICEF plans to help the Burundi government develop its
technical capacity so that it can implement mine awareness programs in
mine-affected areas. They will also help the government set up a national
victim surveillance network, including a central database in the capital
city of Bujumbura.
Contact Information
Ministry of Foreign Relations and Cooperation
Nicodeme Nduhirubusa, Councellor
BP 1840
Bujumbura, Burundi
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