A Month in Burundi

Fabrice Musoni was born to Rwandan parents in the DRC and returned to his ancestral home in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. He traveled to the US for high school and remained for college and to enroll in the Foreign Service graducate program at Georgetown University. He is currently interning with our Burundi office which will helps him in his goal of promoting peace and sustainable development in the Great Lakes region.

A tribal ceremony in Ninga. (Photograph by Bruno De Hogues/Getty Images)

By Fabrice Musoni

Almost a month has passed since the beginning of my internship at Search for Common Ground in Burundi. It has been a marvelously challenging experience, requiring a good deal of adjusting even though Burundi is similar, in many ways, to my native Rwanda. Nevertheless, the support of the SFCG staff has been instrumental in overcoming obstacles encountered so far. There is still much to learn but I rate myself to be in a better position to share the impact that SFCG has had on the Burundian society since 1995.

SFCG has been a key mediator in Burundi’s struggle for peace since 1993. Burundi has been entangled in cyclical ethnic conflicts with roots dating as far back as independence. These conflicts have been a power struggle between two dominant ethnic groups—the Hutu majority and Tutsi minority—with Twas being the outsiders. Warring factions were able to reach an agreement in 2005 during the Arusha peace accords in Tanzania, and the country has been relatively stable although security remains fragile. SFCG has been an active mediator in Burundian crises by creating an environment conducive to dialogue between Hutus and Tutsis, rebel groups and the government, and opposing political parties.

The crisis had segmented the country into Hutu and Tutsi provinces. SFCG would send two staffs—a Hutu and a Tutsi—in a Tutsi-dominated area or vice versa to facilitate workshops on conflict resolution skills, talk shows challenging popular stereotypes, and encouraging mutual respect and interaction through drama, soccer, to name but a few. The results are there to see today. These efforts along with provisions made by the Arusha peace agreements have enabled Burundians to have a frank dialogue on ethnicity as they are again willing to share provinces, hills, and neighborhoods.

Another well referenced example of SFCG’s mediator role has been that of an impartial actor, creating opportunities for government officials, the opposition and rebel groups to have debates and voice their views during radio talk shows broadcasted nationally. Some radio talk shows would involve a rebel somewhere in the forest debating politics with a senator in the studio. SFCG’s philosophy of being impartial by giving opposing sides an equal opportunity to voice their views empowers those parties to reach a solution, a compromise, or a mutual understand on their own.

SFCG has done a tremendous job in awakening the creative spirit of Burundi’s youth. I have been assigned to carry out research on the youth policy in Burundi since 2005. One of my tasks is interviewing leaders of youth organizations. I learned that SFCG played a key role in creating the majority of the civil society youth organizations. My early impressions indicate that these organizations have taken the initiative to address and resolve youth issues such as high unemployment rate, poor education, socioeconomic reintegration of vulnerable groups, gender equality, children on the street, and so forth. In most cases, they have done so without the support of the government.

These young people are hungry to help their country recover and by organizing them into associations, SFCG has further empowered them. Through partnership with other NGOs and donor contributions, these youth groups have achieved positive results in their community. For instance, Fontaine Isoko, former partner of SFCG produced a “code of conduct” for the youth to abide by during communal, legislative and presidential elections in the hope of preventing political manipulation.

One of SFCG’s most significant activities has been women’s empowerment. Women have suffered the most from Burundi’s cyclical crises. Rape and other forms of sexual violence occurred and perpetrators were not punished for their crimes. Sexual harassment, violence at home, and a lack of political representation or participation are among the many obstacles facing women in Burundi since 2005. SFCG’s project on women and governance aimed to address those issues, challenging cultural norms, and educating women on their rights. During workshops women were encouraged to participate in positions of leadership on the local and national level. Men present at workshops were encouraged to be advocates of women’s rights and lead by example. There is no doubt empowering Burundian women is a work in progress but the constitution guarantees 30 seats in parliament to women. These government initiatives and SFCG’s bottom-up pave the way for women’s advancement.

SFCG’s popularity among the vibrant population of Bujumbura, Burundi’s beautiful capital is a testament of its positive impact on the society. Some may not know SFCG by name but they have certainly heard talk shows from Studio Ijambo, a popular radio station working in partnership with SFCG. This is handy for an intern doing research because people have been willing to give me their time when I ask questions.

I must confess that I was afraid to come to Burundi due to the tension around the presidential elections last June. When I met Adrien, SFCG’s Country Director, he reassured me that Burundi was going to be a pleasant surprise. So far, I have not been disappointed and I am certain this will continue to be the case because of hospitality, kindness, and helpfulness of the people around me.