The Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement (2000) and the Current Political Crisis in Burundi

Abstract

Since April 2015, Burundi has been in a state of political crisis precipitated by the decision of President Pierre Nkurunziza to seek a new term as President. Opponents of his decision argued that the Arusha Agreement that ended the Burundi Civil War in 2000 prohibits anyone from serving as president more than two terms of 5 years each. The Arusha Agreement, it was envisaged would provide the basis for the future security and stability of Burundi. In fact, the agreement served the country well through the transitional period that ended in 2005. The post-transition government led by Nkurunziza has progressively eroded the Arusha compact leading to the current political crisis. Nkurunzinza’s insistence on standing for a troisième mandate as president capped the longlist of actions taken to erode the Arusha Agreement. Meanwhile, the guarantors of the agreement appeared helpless to protect its sanctity. Nkurunziza’s re-election as president in July 2015 created a fait accompli thus rendering the continued reference to the Arusha Agreement to sound very hollow.