Beyond the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Accord for Burundi: Challenges of preserving peace in an ethnically fractured society

Abstract

The article examines the absence of peace and security in Burundi after the transitional period. It argues that though the Arusha Accord provided the medium through which Burundi could resolve its political and security impasse, it also failed to create a safe and convenient atmosphere for Burundians to independently determine their political leaders through the ballot box. Ethnicity, the article argues, is only a manifestation of the failure of the state machinery to address pertinent social and economic challenges of the Burundi people. The article concludes by arguing that the lack of basic infrastructure, poor telecommunication network and the interference of outside forces are perhaps the greatest obstacles to peace in the country.