Burundi Republic of Burundi With a surface area of 27,830 km2, Burundi is one of the smallest countries in Africa. Situated in the heart of the Great Lakes region, with hilly and mountainous terrain, Burundi forms the watershed between the basins of the Congo and the Nile. It lies on Lake Tanganyika, the second largest lake in Africa, but has no direct connection to the sea. The majority of the population of over 10.2 million (July 2011, CIA World Factsheet) earn their living from farming. Approximately 50% of the population are under the age of 15. Rapid population growth is driving up the pressure on what is already scarce agricultural land. Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an average per capita national income of USD 130. The Netherlands has an embassy office in Burundi. The Dutch ambassador to Rwanda, who is based in Kigali, is also accredited to Burundi. Burundi is home to an estimated 40 Dutch nationals, while the Burundian community in the Netherlands comprises over 3,200 people. Burundi’s Minister of External Relations and International Cooperation visited The Hague last April. Talks between the two countries mainly focus on development cooperation, the bilateral security sector programme, human rights and Burundi’s participation in international peace missions. Political situation Since achieving independence in 1962, Burundi has been torn by internal conflicts arising from the ethnic divisions between the Hutu majority (85% of the population) and the Tutsi minority (14%). The assassination of the president in 1993 was followed by a civil war (1993 to 2005) which laid the country waste. Over 200,000 Burundians lost their lives; many more fled. Negotiations led to peace agreements between various parties, including the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement – the latest at the end of 2008 when the last remaining rebel movement, the Palipehutu FNL, signed an agreement and converted itself into a political party under the name Forces Nationales de Libération (FNL). The agreements made at Arusha have been partly implemented over the last few years, and the 2010 election showed that thanks to the peace process the political arena is no longer dominated by ethnic differences. Presidential and parliamentary elections were held in 2010. They were won by the Conseil National Pour la Défense de la Démocratie–Forces pour la Défense de la Démocratie (CNDD-FDD), after the main opposition parties, including the FNL, boycotted them. President Nkurunziza was thus elected unopposed. The elections were generally regarded as a litmus test of the success of the peace process. Leaving aside some violent incidents in the run-up, national and international observers held that the elections were fair and took place without significant incident. For the time being, Burundi appears to have emerged – albeit with some difficulty – from its bloody civil war, but its stability is still fragile. Since 2005, the overall human rights situation has greatly improved, yet politically motivated violence is currently on the rise. Sexual violence against women is still a major problem. Civil society organisations and the media enjoy a degree of freedom. The economy The economy of Burundi has traditionally been based on farming. Over 90% of the population work in the agriculture sector, which accounts for 35% of GNP. Most is subsistence farming. The main export crops are coffee and tea. The only factory that is an employer of any significance is the brewery in the capital Bujumbura. In view of the severe pressure on the scarce agricultural land, it is essential for the economy to diversify. However, it is difficult to attract new businesses to a post-conflict country like Burundi, where administrative and legal capacity is in short supply, the average level of education is low and the available capital limited. The Burundian government hopes to improve the business climate, and in particular ensure a more reliable energy supply, by working with other countries in the region and focusing on agriculture and tourism. Burundi has joined the East African Community, which should assist its trade with the region. Economic relations between the Netherlands and Burundi are not of great significance: for more information see the NL Agency website: http://www.agentschapnl.nl/en. Development cooperation As announced in the letter of 18 March 2011 to the House of Representatives presenting the spearheads of development cooperation policy, Burundi will remain on the list of countries with which the Netherlands has a bilateral development relationship. In the medium term, the Netherlands aims to help consolidate the peace process, foster security and political stability and support the Burundian authorities in reconstruction. Dutch policy will focus on peace and security, public administration and socioeconomic development. • Improving peace and security: the security sector programme concentrates on professionalising the armed forces and the police, so that the public will trust them and feel secure. • Strengthening public administration: the Netherlands will assist with current and recurring expenses on the government budget (such as the salaries of teachers and health workers) and with improvements to public finance management. There will also be a programme for resolving land disputes. • Socioeconomic development: the main concern is to stimulate private sector investment, focusing especially on developing the Burundian financial sector, improving access to financial services and assisting start-up businesses. The Netherlands will also support projects relating to agricultural production and energy supplies through regional programmes concerned with, for example, access to farming supplies like manure and seed, better management of land and water, tree planting for timber production, and small-scale power generation. And it will fund regional activities in the field of reconciliation and human rights. Nine alliances of Dutch NGOs are active in Burundi, headed by Cordaid, ICCO, IUCN, IKV-Pax Christi, Oxfam-Novib, SPARK, War Child, Woord en Daad and ZOA Refugee Care. Treaties For up-to-date information on bilateral treaties please see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Treaty Database . .