Copyright 2002 The Christian Science Publishing Society Christian Science Monitor (Boston, MA)
May 22, 2002, Wednesday
SECTION: OPINION; Pg. 09
LENGTH:
764 words
HEADLINE: On the edge of peace in the
heart of Africa
BYLINE: Peter D. Bell
DATELINE: ATLANTA
BODY: 'Amahoro!" shouted the children, waving
excitedly at our passing vehicle. "Amahoro" means "peace" in Kirundi, the
language of Burundi. Sadly, in this small central African country, peace has
been elusive for too long.
Burundi has been torn
by a brutal ethnic conflict reflecting shades of neighboring Rwanda. As in
Rwanda, the 6.8 million people of Burundi identify primarily with two ethnic
groups: 85 percent are Hutu and 14 percent are Tutsi. A civil war that pits Hutu
rebels against the predominantly Tutsi army has raged for 10 years. More than
200,000 people have been killed. A million are crowded into refugee camps in
neighboring countries or are internally displaced.
There's no denying that Burundi is in bad shape. The hard-fought gains
of the early '90s are gone. Whole communities have been burned to the ground;
livestock have been decimated. Life expectancy is now 46 years, with 1 in 10
people HIV-positive or living with AIDS. Few countries in the world are so
forgotten or isolated. Still fewer need the support of the international
community more than Burundi.
But Burundi is not
hopeless. The country is poised, albeit precariously, on the threshold of peace.
I visited Burundi in April, and was struck by the hopefulness of Burundians of
both ethnicities that a peace can be brokered.
People long to rebuild their lives. In Ngozi Province in northern
Burundi, Manisha, a mother of two, told me how Hutus and Tutsis coexist in her
rural community. Hutus and Tutsis labor side by side, she said, to rebuild
houses destroyed in the war. Manisha saw her husband's parents die in the
fighting in 1993. She wants nothing more than a peaceful future for her
children.
There is good reason for hope. On the
political front, the peace process led by South Africa and Tanzania - negotiated
by Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa - resulted in many of the
warring factions' signing the Arusha Peace Accord in 2000. A transitional
power-sharing government was established last November and has tried to advance
an inclusive peace. If all goes well, free elections will take place in two
years. An end to military hostilities may be close.
Yet the recent progress remains fragile. Two key rebel groups continue
to fight the Army. Extremists on both sides seek to block the prospects for a
lasting peace. Desperate poverty and exclusion remain tinder that can be ignited
into a raging conflict.
Why should Americans take
an interest in Burundi, when it is a challenge even to find the country on a
map?
First, inadequate American and
international attention to Rwanda allowed genocide to go unchallenged in
1994. The international community must do everything it can to prevent
similar atrocities anywhere in the world.
Second,
American support for the peace process would make an important difference - in
some cases, between life and death - for hundreds of thousands of ordinary
Burundians, whose plight has long been ignored. It is simply the right thing to
do.
Finally, the situation in Burundi is closely
related to those of its neighbors. The warring parties in Burundi are linked to
opposing factions in neighboring Congo. What happens in Congo's civil war
affects Burundi and vice-versa. Ending conflict in Burundi could positively
influence the peace process in Congo and, in turn, have a stabilizing effect on
a large swath of Africa.
The US and other
governments are providing assistance for Burundi, but their support is largely
emergency aid. While such assistance is needed, long-term support - for economic
development, democracy and justice, community-level conflict resolution, and
lasting solutions to poverty, such as basic education - is
vital to promote peace and reconciliation.
The
international community can help the peace process take root. When the
Arusha Accord was signed, Western governments - including the United States -
pledged significant support for Burundi, but little has materialized. If Western
governments expect warring parties in Burundi to respect the Arusha Accord, then
they must be prepared to live up to their own commitments in Arusha.
Despite the deep wounds of war and dire conditions
of poverty, I left Burundi more hopeful than when I arrived. The shout of
"Amahoro!" still rings in my ears. We must not ignore that expectant, resilient
call.
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