Burundi

Officially the Republic of Burundi, is a small landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its size is just under 28,000 km² with an estimated population of almost 8,700,000. Its capital is Bujumbura. Although the country is landlocked, much of the southwestern border is adjacent to Lake Tanganyika.

The Twa, Tutsi, and Hutu peoples have occupied Burundi since the country's formation five centuries ago. Burundi was ruled as a kingdom by the Tutsi for over two hundred years. However, at the beginning of the twentieth century, Germany and Belgium occupied the region, and Burundi and Rwanda became a European colony known as Ruanda-Urundi.

Political unrest occurred throughout the region because of social differences between the Tutsi and Hutu, provoking civil war in Burundi throughout the middle twentieth century. Presently, Burundi is governed as a presidential representative democratic republic. Sixty-two percent of Burundians are Roman Catholic, eight to ten percent are Muslims and the rest follow indigenous beliefs and other Christian denominations.

Burundi is one of the ten poorest countries in the world. It has the lowest per capita GDP of any nation in the world. Burundi has a low gross domestic product largely due to civil wars, corruption, poor access to education, and the effects of HIV/AIDS. Burundi is densely populated, with substantial emigration. Cobalt and copper are among Burundi's natural resources. Some of Burundi's main exports include coffee and sugar.

 

History

Kingdom of Burundi

The origins of Burundi are known from a mix of oral history and archaeology. There are two main founding legends for Burundi. Both suggest that the nation was founded by a man named Cambarantama. The legend most promoted today states that he was Rwandan. The other version, more common in pre-colonial Burundi, says that Cambarantama came from the southern state of Buha.

The first evidence of the Burundian state is from 16th century where it emerged on the eastern foothills. Over the following centuries it expanded, annexing smaller neighbours and competing with Rwanda. Its greatest growth occurred under Ntare Rugamba, who ruled the nation from about 1796 to 1850 and saw the kingdom double in size.

The Kingdom of Burundi was characterized by a hierarchical political authority and tributary economic exchange. The king, known as the mwami headed a princely aristocracy (ganwa) which owned most of the land and required a tribute, or tax, from local farmers and herders. In the mid-18th century, this Tutsi royalty consolidated authority over land, production, and distribution with the development of the ubugabire—a patron-client relationship in which the populace received royal protection in exchange for tribute and land tenure.

Although European explorers and missionaries made brief visits to the area as early as 1856, it was not until 1899 that Burundi became a part of German East Africa. Unlike the Rwandan monarchy, which decided to accept the German advances, the Burundian king Mwezi Gisabo opposed all European influence, refusing to wear European clothing and resisting the advance of European missionaries or administrators. The Germans used armed force and succeeded in doing great damage, but did not destroy the king’s power. Eventually they backed one of the king's sons-in-law Maconco in a revolt against Gisabo. Gisabo was eventually forced to concede and agreed to German suzerainty. The Germans then helped him suppress Maconco's revolt. The smaller kingdoms along the western shore of Lake Victoria were also attached to Burundi.

 

Colonial rule

Even after this the foreign presence was minimal and the kings continued to rule much as before. The Europeans did, however, bring devastating diseases affecting both people and animals. Affecting the entire region, Burundi was especially hard hit. A great famine hit in 1905, with others striking the entire Great Lakes region in 1914, 1923, and 1944. Between 1905 and 1914 half the population of the western plains region died .

In 1916 Belgian troops conquered the area during the First World War. In 1923, the League of Nations mandated to Belgium the territory of Ruanda-Urundi, encompassing modern-day Rwanda and Burundi, but stripping the western kingdoms and giving them to British administered Tanganyika. The Belgians administered the territory through indirect rule, building on the Tutsi-dominated aristocratic hierarchy.

Following World War II, Ruanda-Urundi became a United Nations Trust Territory under Belgian administrative authority. After 1948, Belgium permitted the emergence of competing political parties. Two political parties emerged: the Union for National Progress (UPRONA), a multi-ethnic party led by Tutsi Prince Louis Rwagasore and the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) supported by Belgium. In 1961, Prince Rwagasore was assassinated following an UPRONA victory in legislative elections.

 

Independence

Full independence was achieved on July 1, 1962. In the context of weak democratic institutions at independence, Tutsi King Mwambutsa IV established a constitutional monarchy comprising equal numbers of Hutus and Tutsis. The 1965 assassination of the Hutu prime minister set in motion a series of destabilizing Hutu revolts and subsequent governmental repression. These were in part in reaction to Rwanda's "Social Revolution" of 1959-1961, where Rwandan Tutsi were subject to mass murder by the new government of Hutu Grégoire Kayibanda. In Burundi the Tutsi became committed to ensuring they would not meet the same fate and much of the country's military and police forces became controlled by Tutsis. Unlike Rwanda, which allied itself with the United States in the Cold War, Burundi after independence became affiliated with China.

The monarchy refused to recognize gains by Hutu candidates in the legislative elections held in May 1965. In response, a group of Hutu carried out a failed coup attempt against the monarchy, which in turn prompted the killing of scores of Hutu politicians and intellectuals. In 1966, King Mwambutsa IV was deposed by his son, Prince Ntare V, who himself was deposed by his prime minister Capt. Michel Micombero in the same year. He abolished the monarchy and declared a republic. A de facto military regime emerged and civil unrest continued throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s.Micombero headed a clique of ruling Hima, the Tutsi subgroup located in southern Burundi. Similar to 1965, rumors of an impending Hutu coup in 1969 prompted the arrest and execution of scores of prominent political and military figures.

In June 1971, a group of Banyaruguru, the socially "higher up" subgroup of Tutsi located in the north of the country, were accused of conspiracy by the ruling Hima clique. On 14 January 1972, a military tribunal sentenced four Banyaruguru officers and five civilians to death, and seven to life imprisonment. To the Hima concerns about a Hutu uprising or Banyaruguru-led coup was added the return of Ntare V from exile, a potential rallying point for the Hutu majority.

 

2006 to Present

Reconstruction efforts in Burundi started to practically take effect after 2006. The UN shut down its peacekeeping mission and re-focused on helping with reconstruction. Toward achieving economic reconstruction, Rwanda, D.R.Congo and Burundi relaunched the regional economic bloc: The Great Lakes Countries Economic Community. In addition, Burundi, along with Rwanda, joined the East African Community in 2007.

However, the terms of the September 2006 Ceasefire between the government and the last remaining armed opposition group, the FLN (Forces for National Liberation, also called NLF or FROLINA), were not totally implemented, and senior FLN members subsequently left the truce monitoring team, claiming that their security was threatened. In September 2007, rival FLN factions clashed in the capital, killing 20 fighters and causing residents to begin fleeing. Rebel raids were reported in other parts of the country.The rebel factions disagreed with the government over disarmament and the release of political prisoners. In late 2007 and early 2008, FLN combatants attacked government-protected camps where former combatants now live, in search of peace. The homes of rural residents were also pillaged.

The 2007 report of Amnesty International mentions many areas where improvement is required. Civilians are victims of repeated acts of violence done by the FLN. The latter also recruits child soldiers. The rate of violence against women is high. Perpetrators regularly escape prosecution and punishment by the state. There is an urgent need for reform of the judicial system. Genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity remain unpunished. The establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a Special Tribunal for investigation and prosecution has not yet been implemented. The freedom of expression is limited, journalists are frequently arrested for carrying out legitimate professional activities. A total of 38,087 Burundian refugees have been repatriated between January and November 2007.

In late March 2008, the FLN sought for the parliament to adopt a law guaranteeing them ‘provisional immunity’ from arrest. This would cover ordinary crimes, but not grave violations of international humanitarian law like war crimes or crimes against humanity . Even though the government has granted this in the past to people, the FLN is unable to obtain the provisional immunity.

On April 17, 2008, the FLN bombarded Bujumbura. The Burundian army fought back and the FLN suffered heavy losses. A new ceasefire was signed on May 26, 2008. In August 2008, President Nkurunziza met with the FLN leader Agathon Rwasa, with the mediation of Charles Nqakula, South Africa’s Minister for Safety and Security. This was the first direct meeting since June 2007. Both agree to meet twice a week to establish a commission to resolve any disputes that might arise during the peace negotiations.

Refugee camps are now closing down, and 450,000 refugees have returned. The economy of the country is shattered – Burundi has the lowest per capita gross income in the world. With the return of refugees, amongst others, property conflicts have started.

 

Geography

Burundi occupies an area equal to 27,830 square kilometres in size, of which 25,650 km² is land. The country has 974 kilometres of land border: 233 km of which is shared with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 290 km with Rwanda and 451 km with Tanzania. As a landlocked country, Burundi possesses no coastline, although it straddles the crest of the Nile-Congo River watershed

The terrain of Burundi is hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in the east. The southern and eastern plains have been categorised by the World Wildlife Fund as part of the Central Zambezian Miombo woodlands ecoregion.

The lowest point in the country is at Lake Tanganyika, at 772 m, with the highest point being on Mount Heha, at 2,684 m. Natural hazards are posed in Burundi by flooding and landslides

 

Other infos

 

Oficial Name:

Republika y'u Burundi

République du Burundi

 

Independence:

July 1, 1962

 

Area:

27.830km2

 

Capital

Bujumbura

 

Inhabitants:

7.054.714

 

Languages:

French [fra] 2,200 in Burundi (2004). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French

 

Rundi [run] 4,600,000 in Burundi (1986). Population total all countries: 4,850,903. Also spoken in Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda. Alternate names: Kirundi, Urundi. Dialects: Dialects of the Hutu and Tutsi are similar. Twa is distinct but all are inherently intelligible, and also intelligible with Kinyarwanda (Rwanda). Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, J, Rwanda-Rundi (J.60)

 

Swahili [swh] 6,356 in Burundi (2000 WCD). Widely spoken in the capital. Spoken as first language in Buyenzi, Quartier asiatique, Muslim neighborhoods, and Congolese neighborhoods (probably Congo Swahili). Spoken by Muslims in other cities like Gitega. Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili (G.40)

 

Meaning of th country name:

From a local name meaning "land of the Kirundi-speakers."

 

Description Flag:

The national flag of Burundi was adopted on March 28, 1967. The green colour symbolizes hope, the white symbolises purity, and red the struggle for independence. The flag has a basic white saltire that divides the field into four areas, two green, and two red. In the centre is a circle that contains three stars which stand for the three major ethnic groups of Burundi: the Hutu, the Twa and the Tutsi. The three stars also stand for the three elements of the national motto: unity, work and progress.

 

Coat of arms:

The Coat of Arms of Burundi, adopted in 1966, consists of a shield surrounded by three spears. On the shield is the motto of the nation, as well as the head of a lion. Behind the shield there are three crossed traditional African spears. Under the shield the national motto of Burundi appears on a scroll: Unité, Travail, Progrès (French, "Unity, Work, Progress").

 

Motto:

"Ubumwe, Ibikorwa, Iterambere" " Unity,work and progress "

 

National Anthem: Burundi Bwacu

 

Kyrundi

 

Burundi bwacu, Burundi buhire,

Shinga icumu mu mashinga,

Gaba intahe y'ubugabo ku bugingo.

Warapfunywe ntiwapfuye,

Warahabishijwe ntiwahababuka,

Uhagurukana, uhagurukana, uhagurukana, ubugabo urikukira.

Komerwamashyi n'amakungu,

Habwa impundu nabawe,

Isamirane mu mashinga, isamirane mu mashinga,

 

Burundi bwacu, ragi ry'abasokuru,

Ramutswa intahe n'ibihugu,

Ufatanije ishyaka n'ubu hizi;

Vuza impundu wiganzuye uwakuganza uwakuganza.

 

Burundi bwacu, nkoramutima kuri twese,

Tugutuye amaboko, umitima n'ubuzima,

Imana yakuduhaye ikudutungire.

Horana umwami n'abagabo n'itekane.

Sagwa n'urweze, sagwa n'amahoro meza.

 

 

French

Cher Burundi, ô doux pays,

Prends place dans le concert des nations.

En tout bien, tout honneur, accédé à l'indépendance.

Mutilé et meutri, tu es demeuré maître de toi-même.

L'heure venue, t'es levé

Et fièrement tu t'es hissé au rang des peuples libres.

Reçois donc le compliment des nations,

Agrée l'hommage de tes enfants.

Qu'à travers l'univers retentisse ton nom.

 

Cher Burundi, héritage sacré de nos aïeux,

Reconnu digne de te gouverner

Au courage tu allies le sentiment de l'honneur.

Chante la gloire de ta liberté reconquise.

 

Cher Burundi, digne objet de notre plus tendre armour,

A ton noble service nous vouons nos bras, nos cœurs et nos vies.

Veuille Dieu, qui nous a fait don de toi, te conserver à notre vénération.

Sous l'egide de l'Unité,

Dans la paix, la joie et la prospérité.

 

 

English

Our Burundi, gentle country,

Take your place in the concert of nations,

Acceding to independence with honourable intentions.

Wounded and bruised, you have remained master of yourself.

 

When the hour came, you arose,

Lifting yourself proudly into the ranks of free peoples.

Receive, then, the congratulations of the nations

And the homage of your sons.

May your name ring out through the universe.

 

Our Burundi, sacred heritage from our forefathers,

Recognized as worthy of self-government,

With your courage you also have a sense of honour.

Sing the glory of liberty conquered again.

 

Our Burundi, worthy of our tenderest love,

We vow to your noble service our hands and hearts and lives.

May God, who gave you to us, keep you for us to venerate,

Under the shield of unity,

In peace, joy and prosperity.

 

Internet Page: www.burundi-gov.bi

 

Burundi in diferent languages

 

eng | afr | arg | ast | bam | bre | cat | ces | cor | cym | dan | dsb | est | eus | fao | fin | fra | frp | fur | glg | hrv | hsb | hun | ibo | ina | ita | jav | jnf | lav | lin | lld | mlt | nld | nor | oci | pol | por | que | roh | ron | rup | scn | slk | slv | sme | som | sot | spa | sqi | srd | swa | swe | tur | vor | zza: Burundi

aze | bos | crh | kaa | mol | tuk | uzb: Burundi / Бурунди

deu | ltz | nds: Burundi / Burundi

hat | wln: Bouroundi

ind | msa: Burundi / بوروندي

kin | run: Uburundi

lit | smg: Burundis

epo: Burundo

fry: Bûrûndy

gla: Burundaidh

gle: An Bhurúin / An Ḃurúin

glv: Burundee

isl: Búrúndí

kmr: Bûrûndî / Бурунди / بوورووندی

kur: Bûrûndî / بوورووندی

lat: Burundia

lim: Boeroendi

mlg: Borondia

nrm: Bouroundie

rmy: Burundi / बुरुन्दी

slo: Burundia / Бурундиа

smo: Paruneti

tet: Burundí

vie: Bu-run-đi

vol: Rundiyän

wol: Buruundi

abq | alt | bul | che | chm | chv | kbd | kir | kjh | kom | krc | kum | mkd | mon | oss | rus | tyv | udm: Бурунди (Burundi)

bak | srp | tat: Бурунди / Burundi

bel: Бурунды / Burundy; Бурундзі / Burundzi

kaz: Бурунди / Bwrwndï / بۋرۋندي

tgk: Бурунди / بوروندی / Burundi

ukr: Бурунді (Burundi)

ara: بوروندي (Būrūndī); بورندي (Būrundī); بروندي (Burūndī); البوروندي (al-Būrūndī); البورندي (al-Būrundī); البروندي (al-Burūndī)

fas: بوروندی (Būrūndī)

prs: بورندی (Būrondī)

pus: برونډي (Burūnḋī); بورندي (Būrundī); بوروندي (Būrūndī)

uig: بۇرۇندى / Burundi / Бурунди

urd: بورونڈی (Būrūnḋī); برونڈی (Burūnḋī)

div: ބުރުންޑީ (Burunḋī)

heb: בורונדי (Bûrûndî)

lad: בורונדי / Burundi

yid: בורונדי (Burundi)

amh: ቡሩንዲ (Burundi)

ell: Μπουρούντι (Mpoyroýnti)

hye: Բուրունդի (Bouroundi)

kat: ბურუნდი (Burundi)

hin: बुरुंडी (Buruṁḍī); बुरुन्डी (Burunḍī)

ben: বুরুন্ডি (Burunḍi)

pan: ਬੂਰੂਂਡੀ (Būrū̃ḍī)

kan: ಬುರುಂಡಿ (Buruṁḍi)

mal: ബുറുണ്ടി (Buṟuṇṭi); ബറുണ്ടി (Baṟuṇṭi)

tam: புருண்டி (Puruṇṭi)

tel: బురుండి (Buruṁḍi)

zho: 布隆迪 (Bùlōngdí)

jpn: ブルンジ (Burunji)

kor: 부룬디 (Burundi)

mya: ဘူရ္ဝန္ဒီ (Bʰuẏũdi)

tha: บุรุนดี (Burundī)

khm: ប៊ូរុនឌី (Būrundī)

 

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