Management of Burundi conflict has been disastrously ineffective – activist

It’s nearly a year since unrest started simmering in the neighbouring Burundi. The conflict has seen hundreds of thousands of Burundians fleeing their country, while at home, some hundreds have been killed.Calls for peace by activists are gaining international attention with vigils being held in different capitals across the globe in memory of lives lost and calling for an end to the unrest. Ketty Nivyabandi, a Burundian poet, has been one of the most vocal activists calling for respect to human rights and an amicable end to the crisis. The New Times’ Collins Mwai had an email interaction with Nivyabandi on the state of Burundi, role and response to activism as well as suggestions on the way forward. Excerpts;- For months, there have been several campaigns and vigils, with activists calling on the world not to turn their backs on Burundi. Do you think these campaigns are yielding any fruits? There have been many efforts to bring awareness to what is happening in Burundi indeed, the majority of them are social media-based, which is the only avenue left for most Burundians to communicate. Independent media has been shut down and most human rights organisations have been suspended. It’s obvious that a ‘hashtag’ will not change the world, but in the case of landlocked Burundi, social media has been able to relay information in a way that is both new and powerful. Sometimes there have been tangible results; for instance, the campaign to stop the deployment of security agents who were guilty of human rights abuses in peacekeeping missions. The purpose of the vigils, on the other hand, is for Burundians and friends of Burundi to grieve those who lost their lives, particularly on December 12, last year, when a massacre was carried out in a suburb of Bujumbura. It is important to remember that those inside Burundi were not allowed to grieve. There was no official address, no day of mourning for those victims. So the vigils were a way for the Diaspora to demonstrate solidarity with our brothers and sisters, to uplift them, give them hope and assurance that they are not alone. The response was overwhelming, with vigils happening from Örebro city in Sweden to Bamako in Mali, and all major world capitals. As an activist, do you think the world has been slow to voice out against atrocities ongoing in Burundi, especially when you compare this to the attention given to other places? First, let me say that concern was indeed voiced, from the beginning, and from the world’s major institutions. Countless statements were made, condemning the actions of the current regime. What has really been lacking is concrete action. The way this crisis has been managed has been disastrously ineffective, and the failure to tackle it when it was still possible has led to what we see today. Ketty Nivyabandi. (Net photo) There was rhetoric in the region, particularly in earlier days, that Burundians should resolve this crisis themselves. How is this possible? All peaceful efforts have been crushed from the very beginning of the crisis. This only leaves a non-peaceful solution, which has its own grave perils and limitations. As far as a global outcry is concerned, it remains a sad fact that atrocities in a little landlocked African country do not shock the world as they would in a European capital. It’s unfortunate, but it’s a fact. But I think that what I hoped to see first was at least a continental outcry. As Africans, we need to begin to think as one people and understand that what happens to one of us happens to us all. Fortunately, the vigils have helped to spread awareness on the continent and we have received the support of many African brothers and sisters. However, this has not yet reached the state level. One has the feeling that many leaders, especially in the region, have found it difficult to condemn President Pierre Nkurunziza, despite overwhelming evidence of the ongoing atrocities. Since most of the vocal Burundians trying to ‘save’ their country are out of the country, do you figure they have the clout to make a difference? It’s obvious that they do not. Activists, human rights defenders, journalists, artists and intellectuals are doing what they can with what they have, and I salute their incredible resilience and courage. We sometimes forget that it is extremely difficult to work, advocate and lobby in these circumstances, with most activists scattered around the world, often in the direst circumstances. What support could the rest of the world offer to Burundians? Support to the media to begin with. Eighty per cent of our journalists have fled the country and work in the most challenging circumstances. The same goes to human rights activists and organisations. In terms of awareness, I think each human being, particularly each African, should look at what is happening and internalise it as if it were happening to them. We can no longer afford to look at those photographs of dead bodies, or to hear about people being forced to dig their own mass graves, then shake our heads and carry on with our business. It is a collective duty to denounce these crimes as if they were happening to our own. The line between ‘them’ and ‘us’ must be erased. This is a threat to peace and democracy everywhere. So I wish the rest of Africa and the East African region would see it in such light, and join us in denouncing these acts until they come to a complete stop. I look forward to the day African cities will light up in solidarity with victims in another African country, the way Europe and the West in general came together in the aftermath of the Paris attack. What more would you like to see done in the coming days to shed more light to the Burundian struggle? I think the plight of Burundians has gained attention. I was in a taxi the other day and the driver, an elderly man from Lebanon, asked me where I was from. When I said Burundi, he replied: ‘Oh no, my dear! You are from that country where the president is killing everyone? Thank God you are safe.’ So the knowledge is there in some way. But it’s a knowledge that is becoming too familiar, one that people are growing too accustomed to. What I would like to see is that awareness translated into immediate action. Nivyabandi holds up a white cloth in a protest in Burundi. (Net photo) What’s your position on the recently formed Republican Forces of Burundi (FOREBU), which is making attempts to mount a rebellion? FOREBU is one among other groups we hear are organising themselves as a rebellion. There is also ‘Red Tabara’, and a few others. As a believer in democracy and peaceful conflict resolution, it is terribly unfortunate that Burundians have to take up arms to fight for what should be their basic right. Even more unfortunate is the world’s ambiguous position which, on the one hand, does not take concrete action to stop the human rights abuses and, on the other, condemns the emergence of these rebellious groups. It’s evident that if people feel they are left with no other avenue, they will take arms to defend themselves. This situation also favours the emergence of all kinds of actors with the most questionable motives, and risks taking Burundi into a warlords scenario. Armed liberation struggles come at a high civilian cost, particularly for women and children, and a violent solution often only exacerbates the situation, but at the same time it is naïve to not expect an escalation of violence in an environment where people’s basic rights are violated in the most brutal of ways. The United Nations human rights office has just confirmed the existence of at least nine mass graves, but also of gang rapes perpetrated by the security forces, and these are reports many of us Burundians have been hearing for weeks and months. Where are the mechanisms to stop these atrocities? We continuously speak about the ‘responsibility to protect’ in seminars and conferences, and stress its importance but are failing to implement it in a situation it was precisely designed for. It is a matter of utmost urgency to intervene and protect civilians. Where are you based? I am currently in Canada. Like more than 200,000 fellow Burundians, the crisis has made it impossible for me to return home at this point. As a Burundian citizen, what are your expectations from the current government? My opinion and concerns as a Burundian citizen are the least of this regime’s concern. It is a government that is completely deaf to any opinion that is different from its own. Far more eminent personalities, institutions, countries, have made the same demands and recommendations I, as a citizen would make: For President Nkurunziza to demonstrate leadership by putting the interest of his country first, step down, or at least seriously commit to an all-inclusive dialogue. I have chosen to channel my commitment and engagement for a free and just Burundi in more effective structures, such as the Women Movement for Peace and Security, a collective of Burundian women united for the return of peace and the respect of our governing laws and texts. We have and shall continue to advocate for rule of law, an immediate cessation of violence, the protection of civilian populations, and, more broadly, a transformation of Burundi through ethical leadership. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Management of Burundi conflict has been disastrously ineffective – activist