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

ecognized internationally (Rwamatwara, 2005). It was not until 2007 that a policy shift
emerged to help refugees return to Burundi (Thomson, 2009. This shift in refugee
policies, which can be seen in different countries in other Sub-Saharan countries as well,
will be discussed in the next chapter. Other Burundian refugees who entered Tanzania
after 1972 were placed in refugee camps in Northwestern Tanzania.
3.3 Internal migration within Burundi: 1960-2000
Internal migration patterns in Burundi for the period 1960-2000 mainly consisted of large
flows of internally displaced persons (IDPs) as well as individuals forcibly relocated by
the Burundian government.
3.3.1 Internal displacement
Not all Burundians that sought refuge elsewhere fled to neighbouring countries; many
became internally displaced in their own country. The 1972 civil conflict, for example,
resulted in large numbers of IDPs in Burundi. In 1993, when an estimated nine percent
of the Burundian population fled to neighbouring countries, 12 percent of the population
sought refuge in other areas within Burundi (UNOCHA estimates, 1993). This led to
large IDP sites within Burundi, a development the country still struggles with today.
These sites in Burundi will be discussed in more detail in the next chapter on current
migration flows in Burundi.
3.3.2 Relocation policies
Forced relocation, also called ‘regroupement’, is defined as “[… ] the forced movement of
entire communities, usually by a government, to permanent or semi permanent sites
often directly or indirectly under the control of military units” (Bennett, 2000, p. 27). A
government often claims to protect its citizens by regrouping them into areas controlled
by the state. In most cases, however, the government uses the relocation as a counter-
insurgency strategy. According to Bennett (2000), “the negative consequences of forced
relocation are most starkly demonstrated by a ruthless policy deployed in Burundi” (p.
30).
In 1996 the Burundian government launched a long-term policy to relocate
Burundian citizens into ‘regroupment camps’, or ‘sites’. This policy was abandoned again
in 1997. During 1998, however, people were still forced to move by the Burundian
government, especially in the west. The Burundian government started a large-scale
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