Date: Tue, 29 Aug 95 09:58:12 EDT
From: Emergency Information Administrator
Subject: Burundi: Civil Strife 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 August 28, 1995
Note: The last situation report was dated July 24, 1995. New
information has been underlined. For more information on the Rwanda
regional crisis, see BHR/OFDA Rwanda situation report dated August 1995
and the Zaire - Refugees fact sheet dated August 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. 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. This escalation of insecurity has
resulted in a growing number of newly displaced populations as people
are forced to flee from their homes and communes. The level of
insecurity and fighting in the western region has erupted to such an
extent that the area is now considered a veritable war zone, and the
resulting emergency humanitarian needs are significant.
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 traditionally have 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, 50,000-100,000
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, although the majority of these
have since returned. However, the ongoing violence and insecurity has
generated new displaced and refugee populations. As of August 18, the
U.N. World Food Program (WFP) was providing food assistance to
approximately 356,180 Burundian internally displaced persons (IDPs), of
which more than 199,500 have been displaced only recently as a result of
the growing violence. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
reports that as of August 2, 1995, approximately 187,224 Burundian
refugees remain in neighboring countries: 5,600 in Rwanda; 83,000 in
Tanzania; and 100,000 in Zaire, although this figure continues to
increase as fighting wages on in western Burundi.. UNHCR also
estimates that 169,000 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 . . . . . . . . . . . $227,419,547
Current Situation
Violence and overall insecurity in Bujumbura and its surrounding
provinces is increasing humanitarian needs among the population while
rendering relief efforts difficult. In Bujumbura, outbreaks of violence
are ongoing in the two remaining ethnically-mixed quartiers, Kamenge and
Kinama. As the military and armed militias continue to attack each
other, civilians have been forced to flee repeatedly to the surrounding
hills, resulting in newly displaced populations and a veritable ethnic
balkanization of the capital city. The outlying provinces of Bujumbura
Rurale, Cibitoke, and Bubanza are likened to a war zone and conditions
are so insecure that virtually no expatriate relief staff are able to
work in the region. There are increasing numbers of blesses de guerre
(war wounded), newly displaced populations that are forced to flee from
one commune and province to another.
Repatriation of Rwandan refugees, both organized and spontaneous, from
northern Burundi to Rwanda continues with increasing regularity. It is
hoped that this trend will continue, thereby alleviating tensions
between the Rwandan refugees and the local and displaced populations in
the northern provinces.
On August 19, the Government of Zaire (GOZ) military began forcibly
repatriating Burundian and Rwandan refugees back to their countries of
origin. By August 24, when the forced repatriation ceased, more than
2,100 Burundians arrived at the Gatumba transit center and 100,000 more
had gone into hiding around the Zairean town of Uvira. For more
information on this situation, see the OFDA Fact Sheet Zaire- Refugees.
Political/Military Situation
The USG 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.
Additionally, in July, U.N. Secretary General Boutros-Ghali visited
Burundi and met with key Burundian leaders and officials, conveying the
message that Burundians must be willing to help themselves during this
crisis, and urging the international community to coordinate its efforts
to assist the Burundians.
Meanwhile, politically-motivated violence not only continues, but is
increasing in both Bujumbura and the provinces. Assassinations of
provincial governors, their advisors, communal administrators, and
government employees occur with alarming frequency - a minimum of one
per week.
The international community, including the USG, has been working
actively to stabilize the fragile political situation in Burundi.
BHR/OFDA participates in the Burundi Policy Forum, which was established
in Washington, DC, in January 1995 to discuss U.N., non-governmental
organization (NGO) and international organization (IO) activities to
help Burundians promote peace and reconciliation for their own country,
and to make additional recommendations for conflict prevention and
resolution measures. Additionally, numerous peace-building and
reconciliation activities are underway in Burundi, under the auspices of
the U.N. Special Representative to the Secretary General (SRSG)'s office
and NGOs.
Relief Efforts
Following the events of October 1993 and the resulting humanitarian
needs, relief organizations began to provide humanitarian assistance in
the form of food, water, non-food relief commodities, and medical
services to Burundi's displaced population. At that time, two distinct
categories of IDPs 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. Many of these individuals have remained displaced/dispersed
since October 1993, and only recently have begun to return to their
homes, security permitting. Many of the displaced and dispersed travel
to their homes for short periods of time, but the majority return to the
hills or camps due to security concerns and unfavorable conditions in
the communes of return.
In June, WFP began to implement a program to phase out general food
distributions to the more than 350,000 old caseload displaced/dispersed
persons. Under the projected program, WFP intended to reduce this
number to 112,000 by end-July, and reduce it further by 20% increments
per month over the next several months, arriving at a beneficiary
population of 8,000 vulnerable persons by March 1996.
WFP has been partially successful in reducing its food distribution
program in areas where security conditions and cooperation of the local
government have allowed the phaseout to proceed. In July, the
beneficiary displaced/dispersed population in Kirundo numbered more than
177,000. During the first distribution in August, this number was
reduced to 29,000, with the agreement of the provincial Governor.
Reductions in beneficiaries are occurring in other provinces as well.
Although the food emergency resulting from the October 1993 crisis is
believed to be over, ongoing and escalating violence throughout the
country has resulted in significant new humanitarian needs. The new
relief needs, notably in the medical sector, have drawn more relief
agencies to Burundi, bringing the number of NGOs and IOs providing
humanitarian assistance in the country up to 16.
In June, relief activities in-country were virtually suspended after an
Action Internationale Contre la Faim/France (AICF/F) convoy was ambushed
while driving from Bujumbura to the central provinces. This attack
confirmed growing concern that the roads are not safe for travel, and
most NGOs have since refrained from travelling by road from Bujumbura to
the provinces, unless it is unavoidable. To restore relief activities
in the interior and to ensure the safety of NGO and U.N. personnel, WFP
has provided a small aircraft that flies regularly to Gitega and Kirundo
Provinces.
Situation by Region
--Bujumbura City
Throughout the past several months, the city of Bujumbura has been
riddled with regular outbursts of violence, notably in the once
ethnically mixed suburbs of Kamenge and Kinama. Civilians often are
caught in the violence waged between the military and armed militias,
resulting in death, injury, destruction of homes and property, and the
recurring flight of the population to the surrounding hills. Medical
evacuations and treatment are provided by Medecins Sans
Fronterieres/Belgium (MSF/B), MSF/France (MSF/F), Red Cross/Belgium
(RC/B), and the International Committee of the Red Cross ( ICRC).
These population movements are so regular that ICRC, UNHCR, and RC/B
have begun to establish an IDP camp to accommodate those people in
Bujumbura who frequently are forced to flee between their homes and the
hills. WFP is providing emergency food distributions to more than
50,000 IDPs in Bujumbura, as of August 18.
--Western Provinces (Cibitoke, Bujumbura Rurale, Bubanza)
Severe violence between the military and armed militias continues, as do
attacks against civilians. ICRC is evacuating an increasing number of
war-wounded to Bujumbura for medical treatment. However, the hospitals
in Bujumbura are ill-equipped to treat the rapidly growing caseload, the
majority of whom require surgical treatment for wounds inflicted by
machetes, bullets, grenades and, most recently, landmines. Most of the
hospitals are lacking electricity, sanitation facilities, drugs and
medical supplies, and staff. Recently, MSF/B, Medecins du Monde (MDM),
and MSF/F were paired with the three main hospitals in Bujumbura to
offer support and assistance.
Additionally, the local medical infrastructure in this area has
virtually collapsed. Many trained local health care workers have fled
the area and both local and expatriate medical staff are unable to
travel regularly to the health centers due to insecurity. Meanwhile,
more than 300 cases of cholera have been confirmed by ICRC and the World
Health Organization (WHO) along the Zaire/Burundi border, where
Burundians are living in squalid conditions, unwilling to be placed in
refugee camps and are fleeing between the two countries as dictated by
the volatile situation. In response to the need for functioning water
systems in the area, the U.N. International Children's Emergency Fund
(UNICEF) and ICRC have begun to install water bladders in critical
locations.
As of August 18, WFP estimated that of the 250,000 inhabitants of
Bubanza province, 75,000 are displaced within the province or have fled
to neighboring areas. Similarly, an estimated 68,000 people have fled
from Bujumbura Rurale. WFP and ICRC continue to attempt to meet the
needs of these populations, and when security allows, WFP provides
emergency 10-day rations. WFP is chairing regular coordination meetings
with relief agencies and Burundian authorities to define a common
strategy for the growing number of new beneficiaries.
--Central Provinces (Gitega, Muramvya, Ruyigi, Kayanza)
Although sproadic outbreaks of political and ethnic violence occur, the
central provinces have been relatively calm recently. These conditions,
as well as support from the local governments and populations, have
enabled the relief community working in these provinces to focus on
rehabilitation activities. It is hoped that activities aimed at
creating favorable conditions in areas of return will encourage the
displaced and dispersed to return--and remain--in their homes, thereby
promoting stability and self-sufficiency. NGOs, including AICF/F,
OXFAM/UK and World Vision Relief and Development (WVRD), are working
with the local population to rehabilitate shelters, promote agricultural
recovery, provide local nutritional and health programs, and repair
water systems. To date, these programs have been successful, and have
facilitated the return of numerous displaced and dispersed to their
homes.
--Northern Provinces (Muyinga, Kirundo, Ngozi)
The northern provinces were severely affected by the instability and
destruction that accompanied the violence of October 1993. The presence
of more than 200,000 Rwandan refugees over the past year further
destablized the area as tensions flared between the refugees and the
local and displaced populations. This was compounded by the
international community's support for WFP's plan to phase out food
distributions to the displaced, while continuing assistance to the
refugees created additional tension. Consequently, several WFP trucks
were attacked and looted, and a CRS expatriate worker was murdered in
Kirundo Province in May while assessing food needs there.
However, according to relief organizations working in this region, the
situation has quieted over the past few months. Incidents of political
and ethnic violence continue, although less frequently than several
months ago. Additionally, the Governor of Kirundo is working with WFP
to reduce general distributions there.
Organized and spontaneous repatriation of Rwandan refugees from Burundi
continues in growing numbers and increasing regularity. UNHCR estimates
that since January 1995, approximately 20,000 Rwandans have repatriated.
Meanwhile, indicators for the remaining refugee population are good,
including in the medical and nutritional sectors.
Additional population flows throughout Burundi during the past several
months, 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 Assistance
The USG has coordinated its relief efforts with the international donor
community to respond to the needs of disaster and conflict victims in
Burundi, both following the October 1993 crisis and during the current
situation. Since the crisis began on October 21, 1993, the total USG
contribution Burundi and the region is over $227 million. 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. To date, BHR/OFDA
has provided over $8.2 million in FY94 and FY95 to assist NGO and U.N.
programs in northern and central Burundi.
In FY94 and FY95, BHR/FFP has provided 343,510 MT of Title II emergency
food commodities worth over $200.2 million to the Burundi region, which
also includes Rwanda Tanzania, and Zaire. These commodities are being
distributed through WFP who has been working in part with CRS and
Caritas to distribute the food to the affected populations. The U.S.
Department of Agriculture has provided 20,000 MT of Section 416(b) food
commodities for the region, totalling $8.8 million in FY94.
The State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
(State/PRM) has earmarked approximately $5.5 million in response to
appeals from organizations responding to the Burundian refugee crisis.
Summary of USG Assistance 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
Grants to CRS for technical assistance and support
to WFP/Caritas network for food distribution . . . . . . . . . $1,344,689
Grant to UNICEF for essential drugs
program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,200,000
Grants to WFP for administrative support in
Bujumbura and Ngozi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,383,478
One Humanitarian Program Information
Officer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$31,792
Grant to Terre des Hommes for a program to assist
street children in Bujumbura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $121,729
Total OFDA Assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,242,110
USAID/BHR/FFP Assistance
343,510 MT of Title II commodities, ocean freight,
and internal transport, storage, and handling (ITSH)
contributed to WFP for the Rwanda/Burundi region.
Total FFP Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $200,234,600
(Note: Given the regional nature of the Rwanda crisis, food assistance is
targeted to Rwanda and the surrounding countries--Burundi, Tanzania,
Zaire, and Uganda. See also USAID/BHR/OFDA Rwanda situation report.)
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 BHR/OFDA Rwanda situation report for a detailed report
of State/PRM assistance to the Rwanda/Burundi region.)
Total USG Assistance (including in-kind
contributions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $227,419,547
_____________________
Nan Borton
Director
Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance
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