University of Nairobi Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies The Military and Democratization in Africa: A Case Study of Burundi By Jean Bosco Ndayikengurukiye Supervisor: Prof. Peter Kagwanja Research Proposal submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Award of Master’s Degree in International Studies at the Institute for Diplomacy and International Studies (IDIS), University of Nairobi. NOVEMBER, 2016 Declaration This project is my own original work and to the best of my knowledge has not been presented for examination in any other university or any other award. Name: Jean Bosco Ndayikengurukiye Registration No: R50/82651/2015 Signature: ___________________________ Date: ___________________________ The project has been submitted for examination with my approval as the university supervisor. Name: Professor Peter Kagwanja Signature: _____________________________ Date: _____________________________ ii Dedication This project is dedicated to my family whose patience, support and encouragement have been my motivation. Special thanks to my lovely wife Marie Therese Barankenguje, my children Alain Jodel Mugisha, Christa Liesse Iradukunda, Aurore Arielle Ndayikengurukiye, and Jean Arlin Dushime. For their prayers, love and encouragement, I say thank you. iii Acknowledgements I would like to thank with deep gratitude all the people who in one way or another had contributed towards the success of this research project. I am indeed in debt to many people, some of whom I may unwillingly omit here. First of all, I would appreciate and thank the Government of the Republic of Burundi, Ministry of Defence, for having accorded me this golden opportunity to study in Kenya‟s precious National Defence College during the year 2015/2016. My sincere gratitude also goes to the Commandant of National Defence College Lieutenant General J.Waweru, the Deputy Commandant Military, Major General Ikenye, and Brigadier Mulata, Senior Directing Staff – Kenya Air Force who gave me invaluable advice towards this research. My sincere thanks go to my supervisor, Professor Peter Kagwanja of the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies – Nairobi University, for giving me guidance and encouragement. Without him, completion of this thesis would not have been possible. Similarly, I thank all my lecturers in the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies (IDIS) for the quality academic discourse during all our interactions. My special thanks go to my family, my wife, and my children for all their patience and encouragement. iv Abstract The role of the military in democratization process in Africa depicts a stark image on the extent to which the military has been effectively utilized in the past as well as during the current period. In some cases, the military has been used to propagate fear and to commit atrocities in Africa. However, over the last two decades, the military in Africa has been involved in efforts to quell civil strife and to promote peace, stability and democracy. In this regard, this paper focuses on the concept of post-colonial democratic experience in Africa, and how the military has been involved in this process. The study will specifically seek to identify the involvement of the military as an institution that has promoted democracy in Africa, with specific reference to Burundi. In Burundi, democracy was ruthlessly suppressed in 1993, when army extremists assassinated the first freely elected president, sparking waves of retaliatory ethnic violence that later subsided, but not yet ended, despite positive developments in the political transition process. On revisiting this case and the available literature on the continent‟s democratic process, the study intends to draw conclusions on how the military has helped to promote democracy in Africa, the challenges encountered, and the way forward in future. It is the view of this study that the military has positively contributed to the promotion of democracy in Africa, despite the myriad of challenges encountered in the process. This is appreciating the fact the liberal democracy as interpreted in the dominant western models may not be applicable in the continent as understood from such a perspective. As such, the adopted perspective of democracy in Africa will be interpreted from varied interpretations depending on the manner in which it has been implemented. v Table of Contents Declaration ...................................................................................................................................... ii Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iv Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... vi Abbreviations and Accronyms ..................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.0. Background of the Study ......................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Problem Statement of the Study .............................................................................................. 2 1.2. Objectives of the Study ............................................................................................................ 3 1.3. Research Question or Hypothesis of the Study........................................................................ 3 1.4. Literature Review..................................................................................................................... 3 1.4.1. The case of Burundi .............................................................................................................. 6 1.5. Justification .............................................................................................................................. 8 1.6. Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................................ 9 1.7. Methodology .......................................................................................................................... 11 1.8 Chapter Outline ....................................................................................................................... 13 The Military and Democratization Process in Africa ................................................................... 15 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 15 2.2. Historical Perspective ............................................................................................................ 16 2.2.1. Democracy in Africa ........................................................................................................... 16 2.2.2. Role of Military Institutions in Africa. ............................................................................... 19 2.3. Conceptual Perspective .......................................................................................................... 22 2.3.1. Role of military in promoting democracy in Africa ........................................................... 23 2.3.2. Civil-military relations in Africa ........................................................................................ 28 2.3.3. The Role of the African Union ........................................................................................... 29 2.3.4. African Union‟s Constitutional and Institutional structures ............................................... 30 2.3.5. Conflict Transformation Theory and Protracted Social Conflict theory ............................ 33 CHAPTER THREE ...................................................................................................................... 36 Military Intervention in Democracy in Burundi ........................................................................... 36 3.1. The Burundi Civil war ........................................................................................................... 37 vi 3. 1.1. From independence to La Baule convention. .................................................................... 37 3. 1.2. Political Evolution of Burundi ........................................................................................... 38 3. 2. The Role of the Military ....................................................................................................... 41 3. 3. Role of Other Stakeholders ................................................................................................... 42 3.4. Mediation Efforts ................................................................................................................... 43 3.4.1. Rome talks .......................................................................................................................... 44 3.4.2. Julius Nyerere‟s facilitation ...............................................................................................