Migration in Burundi: History, Current Trends and Future - MGSoG ...

According to some, the frequency and reoccurrence of conflict in Burundi is due
to the fact that, after independence, the political rulers in the country did not promote
peace and stability but practiced politics along ethnic lines. To quote Ngaruku and
Nkurunziza (2005, p. 35): “The exploitation of social divisions by opportunist political
elites is at the heart of Burundi’s wars [… ]”. Makoba & Ndura (2006) also argue that the
conflict between the Hutu and the Tutsi was, in essence, political instead of ethnic in
nature. A combination of bad politics or governance failures and unresolved ethnic
tensions led to a cyclical period of conflict in Burundi. This argument of political
exclusion can be used for conflict in the whole Central African Great Lakes Region
(Lemarchand, 1997). Ngaruku and Nkurunziza (2005) point to three major causes of civil
war in Burundi in the postcolonial period: 1) the Belgian colonization of Burundi, 2) the
exclusionary politics practiced by the Tutsi political elite after independence, and 3) the
social revolution in Rwanda in 1959, leaving thousands of Rwandese killed and displaced.
Ngaruko and Nkurunziza (2000), however, also point to poverty, which when combined
with the struggle for Burundi’s resources and exclusionary politics had a big influence on
the outbreak of violence.
The security situation is currently relatively stable in Burundi. After a cease-fire
was adopted between the government and the last rebel group in the country in 2008,
security increased. In 2009 no involuntary migration as a result of violent conflict took
place (IDMC, 2009). Violations of the cease-fire have been reported as well, however
(NRC, 2008). Moreover, as discussed in section 2.5, reports of human rights abuses, such
as violence against civilians and political opponents, are still being published (see e.g.
HRW, 2008; HRW, 2009; Lemarchand, 2006).
2.7 Health in Burundi
Burundi has been facing important health challenges, some of which are still urgent today.
The infant mortality rate was 109 per 1,000 live births in 2007. This is high compared to
other Sub-Saharan African countries (World Bank, 2008a). Burundi also has one of the
highest prevalence of child malnutrition in the world (De Onis et al., 2004). Malnutrition
prevalence for children (aged < 5) was 39 percent in 2000 (World Bank, 2008a). Maternal
mortality is among the highest levels in Africa as well (World Bank, 2009a). The average
life expectancy at birth for Burundians was 50.6 years in 2008 with the life expectancy for
women sitting somewhat higher, at 51.7 years, than for men, at 48.8 years (UN, 2008).
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