!e long crisis that began at independence in 1962 has
signi$cantly shaped Burundi’s sociopolitical context. Repeated
political and ethnic con'ict spanning multiple decades (1965,
1972, 1988, and 1993) has devastated Burundi’s social, political
and economic infrastructure.
It is important to note the regional and international dimensions
of the con'ict in Burundi. Since the early 1960s, the Burundian
con'ict has fed on its immediate environment. !e massacres
of Tutsis in Rwanda in 1959 created a psychosis in Burundi,
particularly among Tutsis, that inspired the creation of a
“security strategy” based on removing Hutus from power. !is
tension increased a#er the 1972-1973 massacres of Tutsis and
the following repression of Hutus and the subsequent 'ood
of refugees across regional borders. Burundi welcomed Tutsi
refugees from Rwanda while simultaneously expelling Burundian
Hutus to neighboring countries. !us, each country’s internal
politics in'uenced those of its neighbors, especially in the
management of refugee camps, which were o#en seen as training
grounds for the destabilization of the refugees’ home countries.
As a consequence of repetitive inter-ethnic wars, the creation
of political militias and the prevailing impunity, the Great Lakes
Region is su"ering a seemingly permanent insecurity.