Burundi is a landlocked country located in the Great Rift Valley, where the African Great Lakes region meets East Africa.
It shares borders with Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lake Tanganyika forms part of its southwestern border.
The capital cities of Burundi are Gitega and Bujumbura, with Bujumbura being the largest city.
The name “Burundi” finds its roots in the history of the region and the reign of the King of Burundi, who held power from the 16th century onward.
The name may have originated from the Ha people, who hailed from a place called Buha and were associated with the region.
The people of Burundi, including the Twa, Hutu, and Tutsi, have inhabited the region for at least 500 years.
For over two centuries, Burundi existed as an independent kingdom until it became a German colony in the early 20th century.
After Germany’s defeat in World War I, the League of Nations assigned the territory to Belgium, which later became a United Nations Trust Territory.
Burundi and Rwanda were ruled as a European colony called Ruanda-Urundi, despite not having a common history of governance before European colonization.
In 1962, Burundi gained independence and initially had a monarchy. However, a series of assassinations, coups, and regional instability led to the establishment of a republic and a one-party state in 1966.
The country experienced periods of ethnic cleansing, civil wars, and genocides in the 1970s and 1990s, resulting in significant loss of life, an underdeveloped economy, and widespread poverty.
In 2015, Burundi faced political strife as President Pierre Nkurunziza sought a controversial third term, leading to a failed coup attempt and criticized parliamentary and presidential elections.
Burundi operates as a presidential representative democratic republic with a multi-party system. The president serves as both the head of state and government.
There are currently 21 registered political parties in Burundi. The country’s political system underwent changes, including the establishment of a constitution by Tutsi coup leader Pierre Buyoya in 1992, which introduced a multi-party political process.
In 1998, the constitution was amended to expand the National Assembly’s seats and create provisions for two vice-presidents.
Burundi implemented a transitional government in 2000 based on the Arusha Accord. In 2016, the country expressed its intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court.
Burundi remains primarily a rural society, with a small percentage of the population residing in urban areas.
It has a high population density, the second highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of the population is Hutu, followed by Tutsi and the indigenous Twa community.
The official languages of Burundi are Kirundi, French, and English, with Kirundi, recognized as the sole national language.
Despite being one of the smallest countries in Africa, Burundi’s land is mostly utilized for subsistence agriculture and grazing, leading to deforestation, soil erosion, and habitat loss.
The country has faced significant environmental challenges, with extensive deforestation observed in 2005, leaving less than 6% of the land covered by trees, much of which comprises commercial plantations.
Burundi holds the unfortunate distinction of being the world’s poorest country based on gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.
It is classified as a least developed country, grappling with widespread poverty, corruption, instability, authoritarianism, and illiteracy.
The country experiences significant emigration of its young population in search of better opportunities elsewhere.
Burundi ranked as the world’s least happy country according to the World Happiness Report 2018. It is a member of several international organizations, including the African Union, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, United Nations, East African Community (EAC), and the Non-Aligned Movement.
History of Burundi
Burundi, along with neighboring Rwanda and a few other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa like Botswana, Lesotho, and Eswatini, stands out as a direct continuation of a pre-colonial African state.
However, the early history of Burundi, particularly regarding its dominant ethnic groups—the Twa, Hutu, and Tutsi—remains a subject of intense scholarly debate.
It is essential to acknowledge that culture and ethnic groups are fluid and evolve over time. While various groups may have migrated to the region at different periods and identified as distinct ethnic groups, some argue that the current distinctions are sociocultural constructs.
Initially, the different ethnic groups coexisted relatively peacefully. However, conflicts arose in the 17th century due to the scarcity of land caused by population growth.
The Kingdom of Burundi, also known as Urundi, emerged in the late 16th century in the eastern foothills and gradually expanded by incorporating smaller neighboring territories.
This polity was governed by a traditional monarch, the mwami, who held authority over a noble aristocracy (ganwa) and collected tribute from local farmers (predominantly Hutu) and herders (mainly Tutsi).
The Kingdom operated through a hierarchical political structure and engaged in economic exchanges based on tribute.
During the mid-18th century, Tutsi royalty consolidated their control over land, production, and distribution through the establishment of the ubugabire system.
This system created a patron-client relationship where the populace received royal protection in exchange for tribute and land tenure.
The royal court consisted primarily of the Tutsi-Banyaruguru, who held higher social status compared to other Tutsi pastoralist groups like the Tutsi-Hima.
The Hutu population generally occupied lower social strata, while the Twa were at the bottom of the social hierarchy.
However, social mobility was possible, as Hutu individuals who attained wealth and livestock could attain Tutsi status, and vice versa.
The classification of Hutu and Tutsi was not solely based on ethnic criteria but also had sociocultural dimensions.
Interethnic marriages were common, and regional ties and power dynamics often played a more significant role in Burundi’s politics than ethnicity itself.
The Road to independence
On January 20, 1959, King Mwami Mwambutsa IV of Burundi formally requested independence from Belgium and the dissolution of the Ruanda-Urundi union.
This move was influenced by the Rwandan Revolution and the ethnic conflicts occurring in neighboring Rwanda.
The political party Union for National Progress (UPRONA) emerged as a major advocate for independence and the separation of Rwanda and Burundi.
Burundi held its first elections on September 8, 1961, with UPRONA, led by Prince Louis Rwagasore, winning over 80% of the votes.
Tragically, just days after the elections, on October 13, Prince Rwagasore was assassinated, causing a great loss for Burundi’s nationalist movement.
Burundi officially gained independence on July 1, 1962, and changed its name from Ruanda-Urundi to Burundi.
It adopted a constitutional monarchy, with Mwami Mwambutsa IV, the father of Prince Rwagasore, as the king. Later that year, on September 18, Burundi became a member of the United Nations.
In 1963, King Mwambutsa appointed Pierre Ngendandumwe, a Hutu, as the prime minister. However, Ngendandumwe was assassinated in January 1965 by a Rwandan Tutsi.
This event occurred during the broader Congo Crisis, when Western countries were confronting the communist People’s Republic of China, who sought to use Burundi as a logistics base for communist insurgents in Congo.
Parliamentary elections in May 1965 resulted in a majority of Hutu representatives, but when the king appointed a Tutsi prime minister, it heightened ethnic tensions.
In October 1965, a failed coup attempt by the Hutu-dominated police led to reprisal attacks from the Tutsi-dominated army, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people.
In July 1966, King Mwambutsa, who had fled the country during the 1965 coup, was deposed by another coup, and Captain Michel Micombero, a Tutsi, assumed power.
He abolished the monarchy, declared Burundi a republic, and established a one-party government that effectively functioned as a military dictatorship.
Micombero, advocating for African socialism, received support from the People’s Republic of China. His regime maintained strict law and order, suppressing Hutu militarism.
Culture
Burundi’s culture is deeply rooted in local traditions and influenced by its neighboring countries, although its cultural prominence has been affected by civil unrest.
The main industry in Burundi is agriculture, and as a result, a typical Burundian meal consists of sweet potatoes, corn, rice, and peas.
Meat is consumed sparingly due to its high cost, usually limited to a few times a month.
When Burundians gather for social gatherings, they partake in a drink called impeke, a beer shared from a large container to symbolize unity among them.
Notable individuals from Burundi include footballer Mohammed Tchité and singer Jean-Pierre Nimbona, known as Kidumu, who is based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Craftsmanship plays an important role in Burundi, and local artisans create attractive crafts that are popular as gifts among tourists.
Basket weaving is a particularly popular craft, and other crafts such as masks, shields, statues, and pottery are also made in the country.
Drumming holds significant cultural value in Burundi. The renowned Royal Drummers of Burundi, known for their traditional drumming using various drums like karyenda, amashako, ibishikiso, and ikiranya, have been performing for over 40 years.
Drumming performances are often accompanied by dance, which is a common feature in celebrations and family gatherings.
Notable Burundian dances include abatimbo, performed at official ceremonies and rituals, and the lively abanyagasimbo.
Musical instruments such as the flute, zither, ikembe, indonongo, umuduri, inanga, and inyagara are also prominent in Burundian music.
The country has a strong oral tradition, where history and life lessons are passed down through storytelling, poetry, and song. Imigani, indirimbo, amazina, and ivyivugo are literary genres in Burundi.
Basketball, track and field, and martial arts, particularly judo, are popular sports in Burundi. Association football (soccer) is widely enjoyed throughout the country, as well as mancala games.
Also read: King Mwambutsa IV, the King of Burundi buried in Switzerland
Most Christian holidays are celebrated in Burundi, with Christmas being the most significant. Burundian Independence Day is observed annually on July 1st.
Additionally, in 2005, the government of Burundi declared Eid al-Fitr, an Islamic holiday, as a public holiday.
