Burundi has been on the Peacebuilding Commission's agenda since June 2006 and was one of the first two focus countries, along with Sierra Leone. Devastated by two civil wars in 1972 and 1993 that saw widespread violence along ethnic divisions and hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians, the small central African nation in the Great Lakes Region is now working towards national reconciliation.

The implementation of the 2006 Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement between the government and the FNL, the last active rebel force, constitutes one of the keystones of the Burundian peace process. Despite large delays, a breakthrough came in April 2009, when the FNL was formally registered as a political party, which would allow it to participate in democratic elections slated for 2010. A demobilization, disarmament and reintegration (DDR) process has been launched to ensure ex-combatants and others affected by the war can reintegrate into society.

However, as the country works to consolidate its fragile peace and fledgling democracy, new challenges have emerged. The thousands of returning internally displaced persons (IDPs) as well as refugees from neighboring Tanzania constitute a new source of concern over lack of access to the already scarce land. Those returning home find themselves in an extremely precarious socioeconomic situation, the most vulnerable groups being women and children.

The PBC at Work

The Government of Burundi requested assistance from the international community to pursue its peacebuilding goals and the Security Council referred this request to the PBC and asked for its advice on peacebuilding in Burundi.

Following the establishment of the PBC's Burundi country-specific configuration and the identification of key stakeholders to be invited to participate in the Burundi Configuration, Member States and the Peacebuilding Support Office spent the first period of engagement trying to identify priority areas for peacebuilding. Led by Ambassador Johan L. Løvald of Norway, the Configuration worked closely with national authorities and the UN country team (BINUB) over a period of ten months to develop a peacebuilding framework that highlights critical areas for action that are essential to sustaining peace and preventing a return to violent conflict.

Endorsed by the PBC on 20 June 2007, the Strategic Framework takes into account the many existing national processes related to peacebuilding and development, including those supported by the United Nations and the World Bank, such as the UNDP Assistance Framework and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The Framework also outlines commitments and expected contributions by the government of Burundi, the PBC, the international community and others, including civil society, to addressing the critical areas identified in the document.

In cooperation with the government, the PBC identified the following key priority areas for peacebuilding in Burundi:

- Promotion of good governance
- Implementation of the Global Ceasefire Agreement
- Security sector reform
- Justice, the promotion of human rights and the fight against impunity
- Land Issues and socioeconomic recovery
- Mobilization and coordination of international assistance
- Supporting regional efforts for peace and security
- Gender mainstreaming

Monitoring and Tracking Mechanism

The PBC and the government of Burundi cooperated to establish a Monitoring and Tracking Mechanism in November 2007 to follow progress in meeting the Strategic Framework goals, implementing the commitments of all parties and consolidating peace in Burundi. Through the Mechanism, the PBC monitors developments in the country in the area of peacebuilding, hold periodic thematic discussions to further refine peacebuilding priorities and challenges, and convene a semi-annual review of progress in implementing the Strategic Framework. In Burundi, the government and other stakeholders, including civil society, would monitor the implementation of projects and progress in achieving the Strategic Framework goals through a multi-stakeholder process supported by technical working groups.

Country-Specific Membership

Member States and other stakeholders are invited to participate in the Burundi country-specific configuration of the PBC. These members participate in Burundi configuration meetings in addition to the core PBC membership of 31 Member States and invited observers.

On 29 June 2009, the Organizational Committee unanimously selected Ambassador Peter Maurer of Switzerland to succeed the chairmanship held by Ambassador Anders Lidén of Sweden, who had chaired the Burundi Configuration since July 2008. The first Chair was Ambassador John L. Løvald of Norway. Both Sweden and Norway continue to participate as additional members of the Configuration.

Biannual Review

The biannual review involves an analysis of trends and review of progress in the key priority areas identified in the Framework, as well as a review of mutual commitments of the government, the PBC, the UN system and other international partners. Conclusions and recommendations emerging from the biannual review seek to inform the continuing work of the PBC in the country.

On 23 Jun 2008, the Burundi country-specific configuration had its first biannual review of the progress made and remaining challenges in the implementation of the Strategic Framework. Read our PBCUpdate on the first biannual review.

In the third and latest biannual review, the Configuration welcomed ongoing efforts in the country in preparation for the 2010 elections, the strengthening of democratic institutions and the implementation of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Accord between the government and FNL rebels.

Current Status

With the integration of the FNL into government institutions almost complete, the South African Facilitation team, which mediated much of the peace process in Burundi, has set up a structure to monitor the implementation of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement. The structure, Partnership for Peace in Burundi (PPB), is mandated to monitor the consolidation of peace in the country until December 2009, especially with regard to creating an enabling environment for the period leading up to the elections. Read more on our PBCUpdate.