Rebels Agree To Burundi Truce
13 years of civil unrest may soon come to an end
On September 7, the president of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, signed a peace accord with Hutu rebel leader, Agathon Rwasa, but Burundians can only hope it lasts
August was a particularly devastating month in Burundi. Not only did torrential rains cause floods that destroyed hundreds of houses leaving 1,500 people homeless and in desperate need of humanitarian aid but the government faced problems of its own. As the August deluge ruined crops and killed animals, political leaders were stuck in a quagmire of a different sort, claiming several individuals - including a former president - had plotted to assassinate the current head of state, Pierre Nkurunziza. But while the domestic damage is still being assessed, some good news has come from neighbouring Tanzania where Burundi's government has been involved in ongoing talks with the Forces for National Liberation (FNL) rebels aimed at ending almost 13 years of hostilities.
Five years ago, a transitional government was established that would eventually lead to former rebels taking part in elections and a power-sharing agreement but the FNL, a Hutu rebel group, remained outside these accords. On September 7 however, FNL leader, Agathon Rwasa, finally signed a ceasefire that may eventually lead to a definitive ending to the civil conflict that has killed over 300,000 people. The truce is due to come into effect on September 12 and would see some 3,000 FNL fighters disarm. According to BBC, the rebels have agreed to meet at assembly points where they will decide whether or not to be incorporated into the national army or demobilized. Under the terms of the agreement, FNL leaders will receive amnesty for crimes committed during their insurgency.
Since its independence in 1962, Burundi has been fraught with tensions between the Hutu majority and its minority Tutsi elite. In 1993, the assassination of Burundi's first Hutu president, Melchior Ndadaye, sparked a war whose dying embers could be fanned by any unforeseeable event. While the ceasefire agreement is welcome news at a time when so many other tragic stories have dominated Burundi's national headlines, analysts still wonder if the peace will last, given the country's unstable history and the fact that former truces with the FNL and army have not succeeded.
