Burundi

Burundi is a country of Central Africa, having borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (233 km), Rwanda (290 km) and Tanzania (451 km). While it has no ocean coast, it is on the large, international Lake Tanganyika.

While the civil war, which killed at least 200,000 Burundians, between the majority Hutu and minority Tutsi groups is more familiar as a result of the 1994 violence in Rwanda, under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, that Tribunal also has authority over Rwandan violence in Burundi.

People

As of a 2009 estimate, the population is 9,511,330, made up of Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000. The conflict is more ethnic than inter-religious; Burundians are Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23% and Muslim 10%. They speak Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area).

Politics

An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu government in 2005.

According to the International Crisis Group (ICG), Burundi has made much progress in leaving its civil war behind, but tensions are rising ahead of elections. The scheduled elections, brokered by South Africa, are in a generally endorsed framework accepted in September 2009, in the form of an Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) and a new electoral code.

The polls will take the form of communal, presidential, then legislative – are scheduled between May and September, but opposition parties cannot operate freely, responding with violence to intimidation from the government police and the ruling party’s youth wing

ICG recommends "the region and Burundi’s other partners should reinforce election violence monitoring mechanisms and support deployment of a regional police mission. A senior regional envoy should be appointed to facilitate resolution of political disputes and party leaders warned they face sanctions if they rig elections and possible international prosecution if they commit serious violent crimes."

"In many parts of the country, local administrations are controlled by the ruling Conseil national pour la défense de la démocratie – Forces de défense de la démocratie (CNDD-FDD). These local administrations order the police to disrupt opposition party gatherings and block them from opening local offices. At the same time, civil society organisations and some media are harassed for denouncing the ruling party’s authoritarian tendencies.

Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions in both Rwanda and Burundi. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring countries.

The new government, led by President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered ceasefire with the country's last rebel group in September of 2006 but still faces many challenges.

Political parties and leaders

governing parties: Burundi Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Leonce NGENDAKUMANA]; []; Unity for National Progress or UPRONA [Bonaventure NIYOYANKANA]

Party	Leader	Senate seats (of 100)	National Assembly pct
National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD-FDD	Jeremie NGENDAKUMANA	30	58.6%
row 2, cell 1	row 2, cell 2	row 2, cell 3

note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998, included are: National Council for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD [Leonard NYANGOMA]; National Resistance Movement for the Rehabilitation of the Citizen or MRC-Rurenzangemero [Epitace BANYAGANAKANDI]; Party for National Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]

Political pressure groups and leaders include the Forum for the Strengthening of Civil Society or FORSC [Pacifique NININAHAZWE] (civil society umbrella organization); Observatoire de lutte contre la corruption et les malversations economiques or OLUCOME [Gabriel RUFYIRI] (anti-corruption pressure group) other: Hutu and Tutsi militias (loosely organized)

Executive branch

The President, Pierre Nkurunziza is both head of state and head of government. He has held office since 26 August 2005. There are two Vice Presidents, both of whom came into office on 9 November 2007: the First Vice President, a Tutsi, is Yves Savinguvu , and the Second Vice President, a Hutu, is Gabriel Ntisezerana.

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president elections: the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); note - the constitution adopted in February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected by a two-thirds majority of the parliament; next elections to be held on 28 June 2010; vice presidents nominated by the president, endorsed by parliament election results: Pierre NKURUNZIZA was elected president by the parliament by a vote of 151 to 9; note - the constitution adopted in February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected by a two-thirds majority of the legislature

Legislative branch

Burundi has a bicameral Parliament or Parlement, consists of a Senate (54 seats; 34 members elected by indirect vote to serve five-year terms, with remaining seats assigned to ethnic groups and former chiefs of state) and a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (minimum 100 seats, 60% Hutu and 40% Tutsi with at least 30% being women; additional seats appointed by a National Independent Electoral Commission to ensure ethnic representation; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 29 July 2005 (next to be held on 23 July 2010); National Assembly - last held 4 July 2005 (next to be held on 23 July 2010) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - , FRODEBU 3, CNDD 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CNDD-FDD , FRODEBU 21.7%, UPRONA 7.2%, CNDD 4.1%, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2.1%, others 6.2%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 59, FRODEBU 25, UPRONA 10, CNDD 4, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court; High Court of Justice (composed of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court)