Date: Mon, 24 Jul 95 20:00:08 EDT
From: incident@vita.org (Disaster Information Administrator)
To: event@vita.org
Subject: Burundi: Civil OFDA-03
U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
BURUNDI - Civil Strife/Displaced Persons
Situation Report # 3 Fiscal Year (FY) 1995 July 24, 1995
Note: The last situation report was dated June 30, 1995. For more information
on the Rwanda regional crisis, see also BHR/OFDA Rwanda situation report,
July 24, 1995.
Overview
On October 21, 1993, President Melchoir Ndadaye, the first democratically
elected President of Burundi, and several high-ranking government officials
were killed by military personnel in a coup attempt in the capital, Bujumbura.
The slaying of Ndadaye sparked nationwide ethnic violence between the
minority Tutsi and the majority Hutu ethnic groups. Many provinces suffered
human and property destruction on a devastating scale. Other provinces were
spared the worst of the destruction but became places of refuge for
Burundians. The northern and central provinces were hit the hardest by the
violence and disorder. On January 13, 1994, the National Assembly elected
President Cyprien Ntaryamira to replace slain President Ndadaye. President
Ntaryamira and the President of Rwanda, Juvenal Habyarimana, were killed in a
plane crash on April 6,1994 while approaching the airport in Kigali, Rwanda's
capital. The presidents were returning from a regional summit to explore
solutions to end the violence that has occurred in Rwanda and Burundi over
the years. In September 1994, after lengthy negotiations, the major political
parties entered into a power-sharing convention and Sylvestre Ntibantunganya
was chosen to succeed Ntaryamira in October 1994. Although a new government
is now in place, political and ethnic tensions remain high, and acts of
violence continue to occur with alarming frequency.
Burundi has a population of 5.6 million people, of which an estimated 85% are
Hutu, approximately 14% are Tutsi, and 1% are Twa. Despite their minority
status, the Tutsis have traditionally dominated the government, military,
economy, and educated society. The new President of Burundi is a member of
the majority (predominantly Hutu) FRODEBU party, while the Prime Minister is
from the (predominantly Tutsi) UPRONA opposition party. The military remains
primarily Tutsi, particularly at the higher ranks.
Numbers Affected
As a result of the violence that began in October 1993, between 50,000 to
100,000 people were killed, thousands wounded, and approximately 1 million
persons were displaced from their homes in Burundi. Over 600,000 Burundians
fled to neighboring countries. The U.N. World Food Program (WFP) now
estimates that there are approximately 340,000 internally displaced persons
(IDPs) in Burundi. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
reports that as of June 28, 1995, approximately 203,500 Burundian refugees
remain in neighboring countries: 6,000 in Rwanda; 102,500 in Tanzania; and
95,000 in Zaire. UNHCR also estimates that 200,000 Rwandans remain in
northern Burundi as a result of the violence in Rwanda following the events
of April 6, 1994.
Total U.S. Government (USG) Assistance to Burundi . . . . . . . .$35,708,549
(For total USG funding to the Rwanda/Burundi regional crisis, see BHR/OFDA
Rwanda situation report.)
General Situation
Security conditions in Burundi continue to deteriorate. Political and ethnic
tensions have escalated to new heights in Bujumbura, and fighting in the
city's ethnically mixed suburbs has resulted in numerous civilian deaths,
sudden population movements towards and into Zaire, and a veritable ethnic
balkanization of the population. On July 14, fighting erupted in the volatile
Bujumbura quartiers of Kamenge and Kinama, which have been the scene of
reoccurring violence for the past several weeks. The cause of the fighting is
unknown but resulted in significant population displacements to the
surrounding hills. NGOs initially were denied access to the area for security
reasons, however, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) later
estimated that approximately 10,000 persons were displaced.
In the northern provinces, ethnic tensions continue to flare between the
Burundian IDPs and the Rwandan Hutu refugees. The insecurity surrounding
this fragile situation has been heightened by the relief community's announced
plan to phase out general food distributions to the IDPs, based on numerous
assessments that have determined that the IDPs' need for food relief no longer
exists except among vulnerable populations. The relief community has become a
target of the violence and tension, resulting in grenade attacks against non-
governmental organizations' (NGO) residences, ambushes of NGO and U.N. relief
convoys, and the murder of an expatriate relief worker. The escalating
violence has also affected the expatriate diplomatic and civilian communities. In
late March, three Belgians were attacked and killed during an ambush on the
outskirts of Bujumbura, and a South African producer was killed shortly
thereafter. On June 14, a convoy carrying several Burundian officials,
western diplomats--including U.S. Ambassador Krueger--, and journalists was
attacked in the northwest, resulting in several casualties and the deaths of
one Organization of African Unity (OAU) military observer and one Burundian
military official.
Additionally, attacks against the Rwandan refugee population, their fears of
forced repatriation into Rwanda, and overall growing insecurity in northern
Burundi have resulted in sporadic population movements towards the
Burundi/Tanzania border, which remains officially closed by the Government of
Tanzania (GOT) since March 31, 1995. Such ongoing movements and threats of
a possible influx into Tanzania contribute to the instability of the
Rwanda/Burundi region.
As a result of the growing insecurity in Burundi and concerns regarding the
provision of relief assistance in the region, USAID Administrator Brian Atwood
deployed a USAID-led assessment team to Burundi and Tanzania from April 17-
27. The team consisted of representatives of USAID/BHR/OFDA, USAID/BHR/Food
For Peace (BHR/FFP), USAID/Africa Bureau (USAID/AFR), State/Population,
Refugees and Migration (State/PRM), and InterAction. The purpose of the
assessment was to examine the feasibility of the WFP program to reduce
general food distributions to displaced and dispersed populations, review the
USAID humanitarian relief portfolio, and determine the feasibility of
implementing recovery and development programs in Burundi. The team's
findings reconfirmed previous assessment reports that the humanitarian crisis
in Burundi that followed the October 1993 crisis is largely over. The present
situation in Burundi stems from a political crisis, which necessarily impacts
the current humanitarian situation.
Political/Military situation
Following President Ntaryamira's death on April 6, 1994, National Assembly
President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya was appointed as Burundi's interim
president. Political tensions intensified in ensuing months, largely caused by
the impasse over presidential succession. The impasse was accompanied by
increased incidents of ethnic and political violence. The situation was finally
resolved by a multi-party agreement in September 1994 to form a new
coalition, which paved the way for the installation of Ntibantunganya as
President in October 1994. Under this new power sharing agreement, officially
known as the Conventions of Government, the Prime Minister and 45 percent of
ministerial positions are allocated to the opposition.
After a series of internal political struggles within the UPRONA party, Prime
Minister Anatole Kanyenkiko was forced to resign from his position in
February 1995. UPRONA nominated Antione Nduwayo as the new prime
minister, and his nomination was formally accepted by the President on
February 22.
On June 18, President Ntibantunganya announced a series of "non-state of
emergency" measures during a televised speech to reinforce peace, security,
and confidence in Burundi. These measures, effective immediately, included
suspension of all political meetings, demonstrations, and political radio
broadcasts; censorship of radio and television broadcasts and newspaper
articles to prevent dissemination of ethnic "hate" messages; division of the
country and major urban centers into "sectors" under joint civilian/military
rule; installation of a country-wide curfew; issuance of new national passports;
and the requirement that all Burundians wishing to travel outside of their
province be in possession of official travel documents."
Additionally, the President announced that he will rule by decree until the
next session of Parliament, which begins in October 1995. Attributing
deteriorating security conditions to both Hutu and Tutsi extremist groups, the
President appealed to all political parties to support him and the multi-party
power sharing arrangement established by the Conventions of Government.
Finally, the President stressed that "since the main problem [in Burundi] is
security, it is the soldiers who will be responsible for everything."
On June 19, a special session of the National Assembly was called by the
President to consider the emergency measures he announced on June 18, and
to "enact measures for the creation of new judicial committees which will
investigate all crimes committed in the country since October 1993."
It is the Burundian government's intention that the culmination of these new
measures will reinforce security and justice throughout Burundi, thereby
curbing the growing violence. Meanwhile, the international community
continues its efforts to stabilize Burundi's political situation. U.N. Secretary
General Boutros Boutros-Ghali visited Burundi on July 16 to appeal to the
Burundian people to reconcile and work toward peace. He met with President
Ntibantaganya and various other government and military officials. The USG
also has dispatched a number of high-ranking officials to Burundi, both to
demonstrate support for the democratically elected Government of the Republic
of Burundi (GRB) and to consult with government and military officials on
security issues. In late April, Assistant Secretary of State (AS) for African
Affairs George Moose visited Burundi to discuss issues of security, justice and
accountability, and issues related to Burundi's IDP population. AS Moose also
discussed the need to incorporate Hutu soldiers into the Tutsi-dominated
military, rendering the institution more ethnically equitable and unbiased. In
early June, a high-ranking delegation from the OAU also visited Burundi to
partake in peace talks and negotiations, however the delegation's efforts were
hindered by a sudden escalation of violence during the time of their visit.
The USG continues to work with the U.N. and GRB towards the installation of a
Commission of Inquiry. It is envisaged that the Commission would serve to
investigate the 1993 failed coup attempt and President Ndadaye's assassination,
and grave violations of international humanitarian law that accompanied and
followed these acts.
Meanwhile, political violence continues. The frequency of political
assassinations and the existence of reported "hit lists" for further
assassinations is particularly disturbing. At least twenty prominent
Burundians or local authorities have been attacked or assassinated since
January 1994.
The international community, including the U.S. government, has been actively
working to stabilize the fragile political situation in Burundi. The Burundi
Policy Forum has been established in the U.S. to discuss U.N., NGO and
international organization (IOs) activities to help Burundians promote peace
and reconciliation for their own country, and to make additional
recommendations for conflict prevention and resolution measures. BHR/OFDA
participates in this forum.
Relief efforts
Relief organizations have been providing humanitarian assistance in the form
of food, water, non-food relief commodities, and medical services to Burundi's
displaced population since the October 1993 outbreak of violence. At that
time, two distinct categories of internally displaced persons emerged in
Burundi. The "displaced" population, largely Tutsi, sought protection in
public buildings and were guarded by the Burundian military, while the
"dispersed" population, largely Hutu, fled to the hills to avoid central roads
and the Tutsi-dominated military. Relief agencies have encountered difficulties
in providing humanitarian assistance to the dispersed, as they are not
concentrated in any particular areas or regions and are often difficult to
locate. Many of the displaced and dispersed travel to their homes for short
periods of time, but return to the hills or camps due to security concerns.
With the escalation in violence and insecurity, relief efforts have become
increasingly hindered. Attacks against U.N. convoys and NGOs' property and
personnel are becoming more frequent. In late April, a Greek expatriate
working for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) was murdered while assessing the
need for food distributions in Kirundo province, northern Burundi. In the
aftermath of this tragedy, more than 25 NGOs working in Burundi declared a
week-long work stoppage. During this time the participating NGOs travelled
throughout the countryside and Bujumbura to inform the local population and
officials of the NGOs' neutrality, and their purpose in delivering humanitarian
assistance. In spite of their efforts, however, attacks against NGOs and U.N.
relief agencies continue. Several WFP convoys transporting food commodities
throughout the north have been attacked and/or looted. On June 8, 25 WFP
trucks were detained outside of Bujumbura by angry local residents, who
accused WFP of trafficking arms to Hutu refugees in Zaire. In mid-June, an
Action International Contre La Faim/France (AICF/F) and GTZ (a German NGO)
convoy of six vehicles was ambushed by unknown assailants, resulting in the
deaths of local civilians and injuries suffered by AICF/F personnel.
The USAID-led assessment team that visited Burundi in late April determined
that the humanitarian crisis that resulted from the October 1993 violence in
Burundi is essentially over. The 1994/1995 harvests at the household levels
were notably good. Nutritional surveys of the displaced population have
shown a progressive improvement. Severe malnutrition in the IDP camps,
according to information provided by UNICEF and AICF, has declined.
Malnutrition levels for infants under 2 years is just over 2 percent, compared
to a malnutrition level of 5.6 percent prior to the October 1993 crisis.
Subsequent to the USAID-led assessment, a multi-donor field assessment
mission was deployed to Burundi in response to the President of Burundi's
appeal to the international community for additional food assistance for IDPs.
The mission consisted of representatives from the U.N., European Union (EU),
USAID/FFP, and the GRB. Between May 28-June 17 the team travelled to seven
northern and central provinces, visited 25 IDP camps and relief centers, and
interviewed numerous local officials, church representatives, displaced and
dispersed persons, and relief workers. Based on its findings, the team
reported that the majority of the affected population in camps have access to
land and, in some provinces, 85 percent of the displaced are farming. Harvest
forecasts for June and July are excellent, significantly reducing the
requirement for emergency food assistance. Most camps have well-stocked
local markets on-site, and additional markets within one kilometer of the
camps. The team also observed that the majority of the IDPs have not
returned to their homes permanently due to real and perceived security
threats, to receive food aid, and to seek shelter, as their houses have not
been rebuilt from the October 1993 destruction. The emphasis among some
local Burundian officials is to rebuild houses and to attain the level of
agricultural production that existed before the crisis, thereby leading
northern Burundi towards a stage of reconstruction and eliminating emergency
relief needs.
Based on the findings of these and other assessments, WFP has announced its
intention to gradually phase out general food distribution to the majority of
the IDP population. At present, WFP provides general food distributions to
approximately 340,000 IDPS. WFP intends to reduce this caseload to 112,000
beneficiaries by the end of July, with a 20 percent decrease per month
through March 1996, security allowing. WFP will, however, continue to assist
approximately 80,000 vulnerable persons, and intends to implement food-for-
work targeted feeding programs and ad hoc assistance as required.
Insecurity in Burundi and resulting population movements towards the
Burundi/Tanzania border have presented renewed challenges to the relief
community. In late March, more than 55,000 Rwandan refugees fled towards
the Tanzanian border after attacks were reportedly waged against their camps.
The GOT immediately closed its border to prevent an additional influx of
refugees into northwest Tanzania, where resources are already overtaxed by
the presence of more than 700,000 Rwandan and Burundian refugees, and
resulting security and environmental concerns prevail. UNHCR and other
relief agencies acted promptly to transport these refugees back to camps to
avoid yet another humanitarian crisis. Additional population flows throughout
Burundi, both towards the Zairian and Tanzanian borders, have highlighted
the need to ensure that ample supplies of potable water and food commodities
are available in the region. WFP, with contributions from the USG, is
currently undertaking efforts to improve Tanzania's road and rail
infrastructure to ensure that adequate relief supplies can be delivered into
the region to meet the current needs of the refugee populations, as well as
any emergency needs in the future.
USG Humanitarian Assistance
The USG has coordinated its relief efforts with the international donor
community to respond to the needs of disaster victims in Burundi. Since the
crisis began on October 21, 1993, the total USG contribution is $35,708,549.
BHR/OFDA funding has assisted Burundian IDPs, and has been channelled to
NGOs and U.N. agencies implementing programs in Burundi. BHR/OFDA has
funded projects to provide emergency food and non-food commodities, shelter,
and health services to the Burundian IDP population. On July 1, 1994,
USAID/BHR/OFDA Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) for Rwanda
established a field office in Bujumbura to conduct assessments of northern
Burundi to determine humanitarian conditions of the Burundian displaced and
Rwandan refugees, as well as to ascertain the level of security in the area.
(See also USAID/BHR/OFDA Rwanda Situation Reports. To date, BHR/OFDA has
provided over $7,765,712 million in FY94 and FY95 to assist NGO and U.N.
programs in northern and central Burundi.
In FY94, prior to the onset of the Rwanda/Burundi regional crisis in April
1994, BHR/FFP provided 19,430 MT of Title II emergency food assistance,
valued at $9 million, for the Burundi emergency. Since April 1994, in FY94 to
FY95, BHR/FFP has provided an additional 330,870 MT valued at $195.7 million
on a regional basis, through WFP, to address the food needs of refugees from
both Burundi and Rwanda. (See also BHR/OFDA Rwanda situation report.)
State/PRM has earmarked approximately $5.5 million in response to appeals
from organizations responding to the Burundian refugee crisis.
Summary of USG Humanitarian Assistance to Burundi in FY94 and FY95, to
date:
USAID/BHR/OFDA Assistance
Ambassador's Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000
Grant to WFP for regional purchase and transport of
2,500 MT of lentils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,587,500
Grant to Medecins Sans Frontieres/Belgium to provide
emergency medical, water and sanitation, shelter assistance . . . $1,601,560
Grant to WFP for field personnel
in Burundi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $277,000
In-kind contributions of 20,000 wool blankets and 300
rolls plastic sheeting, as well as transportation and
technical assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $412,632
UN/DHA for helicopter to ensure distribution of food
and non-food relief supplies to inaccessible, vulnerable
populations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $237,250
Two CDC epidemiologists and laboratory supplies . . . . . . . . . . .$19,480
Grant to CRS for technical assistance and support
to WFP/Caritas network for food distribution to
displaced Burundians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,344,689
Grant to UNICEF for essential drugs program . . . . . . . . . . . $1,200,000
Grant to WFP for administrative support in Bujumbura
and Ngozi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $853,050
One Humanitarian Program Information Officer. . . . . . . . . . . . .$31,792
Grant to Terre des Hommes for a program to assist
street children in Bujumbura. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $121,729
Grant to CRS to distribute food to displaced Burundians . . . . . . $489,593
Assessment and Technical Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$54,030
Total OFDA Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,765,712
USAID/BHR/FFP Assistance
19,430 MT Title II emergency food commodities
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,000,000
Total FFP Assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,000,000
USDA Assistance
20,000 MT Section 416(b) food commodities for Burundi region. . . $8,768,000
Total USDA Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,768,000
USAID/Burundi Assistance
Contribution to Medecins Sans Frontieres/France for
supplemental child feeding program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $454,000
Contribution to Kibimba for emergency health activities . . . . . . .$15,000
Contribution to CRS for seed purchase and distribution. . . . . . . $267,137
Total USAID/Burundi Assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $736,137
Department of Defense (DOD)
Airlift of 500 MT corn-soya blend for WFP
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,130,000
Airlift of 100 MT of plastic sheeting for UNHCR
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $168,000
Airlift of 263 MT of blankets and tents for UNHCR. . . . . . . . $1,200,000
Airlift of 1,650 MT of grain and oil for WFP
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,250,000
Airlift of 240 MT emergency food commodities for ICRC . . . . . . . $213,000
Total DOD Assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,961,000
State/PRM Assistance
Contribution to UNHCR for
Burundian Refugees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,250,000
Contribution to IFRC for Rwandan and Tanzanian Red
Cross activities for Burundian refugees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $725,000
Contribution to WFP for administrative costs of Burundian
refugee programs in Rwanda, Tanzania and Zaire. . . . . . . . . . . $502,700
Total State/PRM Assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,477,700
(Note: See also USAID/BHR/OFDA Rwanda situation report for a detailed report
of State/PRM assistance to the Rwanda/Burundi regional crisis since April
1994.)
Total FY94/95 USG Assistance (including in-kind
contributions). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$35,708,549
_____________________
Nan Borton
Director
Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance
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