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Burundi, Landmine Monitor Report 2004

Burundi

Key developments since May 2003: Burundi ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 22 October 2003 and it entered into force for Burundi on 1 April 2004. There have been continued allegations and indicators of use of antipersonnel mines by government forces and FNL rebel forces. In June 2003, the government and UNICEF organized a workshop on the implications of the Mine Ban Treaty for Burundi. On 15 December 2003, the former main rebel group, the CNDD-FDD, committed to a total mine ban. In February 2004, both the government and CNDD-FDD participated in the first international workshop on the mine issue held in Burundi. At the same time, the ICBL held a regional Landmine Monitor researchers meeting and the Burundi Campaign to Ban Landmines was launched. Burundi said that the number of mines in stock and retained will now have to be revised to take CNDD-FDD stocks into account. The 2 December 2002 cease-fire agreement between the Burundi government and the CNDD-FDD obliges the parties to mark mined areas, to provide maps of mined areas, and to demine, but it did not appear that either side had begun this process by mid-2004. The UN peacekeeping mission in Burundi (ONUB), established on 1 June 2004, is authorized to coordinate and conduct mine action activities. UNMAS is establishing a mine action center at ONUB headquarters. Between July and November 2003, with the support of UNICEF, Burundi conducted a mine risk education campaign in the five most mine-affected provinces. In 2003, 174 new civilian mine/UXO casualties were reported, representing a significant increase from the 114 casualties reported in 2002.

Key developments since 1999: Burundi ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 22 October 2003 and the treaty entered into force for Burundi on 1 April 2004. There have been credible, though not confirmed, allegations of antipersonnel landmine use by government forces throughout the period. The government has strongly denied the charges. CNDD-FDD rebel forces have acknowledged using mines until December 2002. On 2 December 2002, the transitional government of Burundi and the CNDD-FDD signed a cease-fire agreement that prohibits all laying of mines by either party. It also contains obligations for marking and mapping of minefields, as well as mine clearance, but it did not appear that either side had begun this process by mid-2004. Burundi has declared a stockpile of 1,200 antipersonnel mines for training purposes only, but states that CNDD-FDD stocks will now have to be considered.

Mine Ban Policy

After participating marginally in the Ottawa Process, Burundi signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997. However, it did not ratify until 22 October 2003. The treaty entered into force for Burundi on 1 April 2004.[1] Officials attributed the delay in ratification to the on-going conflict in the country, and the need for the transitional government structures and institutions to take root.

Burundi has not enacted domestic implementation legislation.[2] At a March 2004 regional landmine workshop, Burundi stated its intention “to proceed as soon as possible” with such legislation and called upon the International Committee of the Red Cross for assistance.[3] Burundi's initial Article 7 transparency report is due on 27 September 2004.

Even as a signatory, Burundi participated frequently in Mine Ban Treaty meetings. It has attended all of the annual Meetings of States Parties, including the Fifth Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, in September 2003, and most of the intersessional Standing Committee meetings since May 2001, including those in February and June 2004. Burundi participated in a workshop on Landmines in East Africa, the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa held in Nairobi, Kenya, 2-4 March 2004. It attended other regional meetings on the mine issue in Bamako, Mali in February 2001, and in Brussels, Belgium, on 12-13 November 2002.

On 27 June 2003, the Ministry of Interior and UNICEF organized a workshop in Bujumbura called, “The Ottawa Treaty: What Implications for Burundi?”[4] On 20 February 2004, representatives of both the government and the Conseil National pour le Défense de la Démocratie - Forces pour la Défense de la Démocratie (CNDD-FDD) participated in a workshop "From Bujumbura to Nairobi: a road without mines?," organized by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and its local partner Centre d'Alerte et de Prévention de Conflits (CENAP). At the same time, ICBL’s Landmine Monitor researchers from Francophone Africa met for the first time in Burundi for their annual meeting.[5]

The Burundi Campaign to Ban Landmines was launched at the workshop. CENAP and the International Center for Research and Dialogue Initiatives (CIRID) serve as coordinators, and the Burundi Human Rights League “Iteka” ("Dignity"), the Observatory of Governmental Action (OAG), the Scouts Association of Burundi, and the Collective of Youth Associations are the main member organizations.

Burundi is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Production, Transfer, Stockpiling

Burundi is not known to have produced or exported antipersonnel mines.

Burundi officials have given contradictory information about possible stockpiled mines in the past.[6] Since August 2001, Burundi has stated repeatedly that it has a stockpile of only 1,200 antipersonnel mines, and that the mines are kept solely for training purposes.[7] Landmine Monitor has noted for several years that allegations of use by the Burundi Army in recent years have cast doubt on that claim.

In March 2004, an official said that "with the cease-fire with CNDD-FDD and the probable joining of the other armed movement PALIPAHUTU-FNL, the quantity of antipersonnel mines under the control of the government might change."[8] Similarly, in June 2004, Burundi told the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction that with the cease-fire, CNDD-FDD stocks now have to be considered. He said that new information on the number of antipersonnel mines to be destroyed and the number to be retained for training will be included in Burundi’s first Article 7 report.[9]

The CNDD-FDD has called for complete destruction of stockpiles, including those mines kept for training purposes.[10] At a press conference in Bujumbura on 5 January 2004, it announced its intention to destroy all of its mines.[11] At one point, the CNDD-FDD said it would destroy its stockpile, with the technical support of the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD), during the ICBL/LM regional meeting in Burundi from 18-21 February 2004.[12] However, CNDD-FDD reportedly decided the date was "premature for technical and political reasons."[13] No new date has been set. The stockpile reportedly contains just ten antipersonnel mines of Russian origin, one antivehicle mine and two improvised explosive devices.[14] The CNDD-FDD said its stockpile is composed of Army mines it cleared or captured from soldiers.[15]

Landmine Monitor was unable to obtain information on the stockpile of FNL-PALIPAHUTU rebel forces.

Use

All editions of Landmine Monitor Report have cited credible allegations of antipersonnel mine use by both government and rebel forces.[16] Allegations of mine use have come from a variety of sources: United Nations officials; international and national NGOs; diplomats; international and national media, including local radio programs; refugees; mine survivors, their families and witnesses; and rebels and military requesting anonymity. Burundi officials have regularly denied such allegations, and have on several occasions invited the international community for a fact-finding/investigation/verification mission.[17]

Landmine Monitor has received reports about use of mines by the Army since 1996.[18] In its first report in 1999, Landmine Monitor cited reports that antipersonnel mine use became "quite frequent to protect isolated military posts from rebel attacks at night," and that "rebels also use antipersonnel mines to protect retreat routes."[19] In subsequent reports, it was alleged that the Burundi Armed Forces laid mines on the border with Tanzania, both to prevent refugees from fleeing the civil war, as well as to control cross-border attacks and infiltration by Tanzania-based rebels.[20] The Army reportedly also used mines to protect isolated military posts and major economic infrastructure such as electric pylons. [21] In 2002-2003 there was an escalation of the civil war in Burundi, and an increase of mine use.[22]

Based on a mission to Burundi in November 2002, Landmine Monitor Report 2003 noted that numerous humanitarian relief providers and diplomats interviewed at that time expressed their concern that since mid-2002, there had been an increase in mine use by rebel groups, but mostly by the Burundi Army.[23] Landmine Monitor also documented information on a number of incidents giving credence to the allegations of continued use by the Burundi military.[24]

On 2 December 2002, the transitional government of Burundi and the CNDD-FDD signed a cease-fire agreement that prohibits all laying of mines.[25] It contains obligations for demining, marking of contaminated areas, and providing maps.[26] The agreement also states that specific attention should be paid to combatants and civilians disabled by the war.[27]

Burundi reportedly also used mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, specifically in the Uvira region in South Kivu, close to the Burundi border, in 2000 and 2001.[28] Burundi denied these allegations.[29]

Possible Recent Army Use

A number of mine incidents, as well as statements by Burundi officials and UN representatives, give rise to concerns of continued mine use by the Burundi Armed Forces in this reporting period (since May 2003), though Landmine Monitor cannot determine with certainty when the mines were laid, or by whom. On 21 May 2003, two women, one 21 and the other 22 years of age, were injured by a mine when they passed a military position near a camp for internally displaced persons in Nyabiraba commune, Bujumbura Rural province.[30] On 2 August 2003, three women and a 13-year-old girl were injured by a mine while they were getting water at a well at the military post for Raro, Kiyenzi zone, Kanyosha commune, Bujumbura Rurale province.[31] On 3 September 2003, three people were reportedly killed and another four were injured in several mine incidents in Mayange zone, Mugina, Kayogoro commune, Makamba province. According to a media report, one mine had been laid in a manioc field, a tripwire mine was placed in a banana plantation, and a third mine exploded at 6 p.m. that day. Soldiers had forbidden the population in the area from all movement between 5 p.m. and 6 a.m.[32]

On 13 February 2004, a 23-year-old man was injured by a mine, reportedly near a military position that had been abandoned a few minutes earlier, in Bugarama commune, Gahuni zone, in the province of Muramvuya.[33] On 17 March 2004, a 9-year-old child was seriously injured when the mine he was playing with exploded in his hand. The incident occurred at the Kivoga site for internally displaced in Mutimbuzi commune, Bujumbura Rural province.[34]

In an interview with IRIN (the UN Integrated Regional Information Networks) in August 2003, the governor of Rural Bujumbura placed responsibility for the presence of mines "on the belligerents in the country's 10-year civil war." However, he reportedly added that "government forces may plant them to protect their positions and sometimes may forget them."[35] In January 2004, an Army spokesperson who requested anonymity told IRIN that the army had laid mines in some hills surrounding Bujumbura to curb FNL infiltration into the city.[36] In an interview with Landmine Monitor, another official of the Ministry of Defense stressed that mine use is not a formal Army practice, but noted that it was possible that individual soldiers used mines.[37] According to a news report, in August 2004 the UN Secretary General’s special representative for Burundi denounced increased human rights abuses and increased clashes between the Burundi Armed Forces and the FNL, and cited an escalation of landmine accidents in Bujumbura Rural province.[38] In a report issued following a landmine assessment mission to Burundi in October 2003, a consultant for UNICEF concluded that government forces continued to lay mines after Burundi ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 22 October 2003.[39]

Use by Non-State Actors

On 15 December 2003, the CNDD-FDD signed the Geneva Call Deed of Commitment pledging a comprehensive ban on antipersonnel mines. Although no longer a non-state actor since joining the transitional government, the movement still controls its own troops.[40] At a press conference in Bujumbura on 5 January 2004, the Secretary-General of the CNDD-FDD admitted its former rebel movement had laid mines and appealed to the Burundi Army and the Forces Nationales de Libération (FNL) of Agathon Rwasa to stop using mines, to destroy their stockpiles, and to clear the mines they had laid. [41] In subsequent interviews with Landmine Monitor and at a February 2004 landmine workshop, the CNDD-FDD again admitted having used antipersonnel mines prior to 15 December 2003, adding they "shared the blame however with the government forces." [42]

Burundi officials have repeatedly accused rebel forces of using mines.[43] In April 2004, the Army accused the FNL of "using antipersonnel mines more and more."[44] In particular, the Army accused the FNL of having laid mines in Rural Bujumbura in March 2004 and on 4 April 2004, when four soldiers were wounded and one killed on patrol in Muhata commune, 25 kilometers south of Bujumbura.[45] The rebel spokesman Pasteur Habimana confirmed the fighting, but denied that they had laid mines.[46]

Landmine Problem and Survey

The exact scope and nature of the landmine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) problem in Burundi remains unknown.[47] The most heavily mine/UXO affected province is Bujumbura Rural, even more so since fighting there in July 2003 and August 2004. Other areas where mine incidents occur include Makamba, Rutana, and Ruyigi along the eastern border with Tanzania; Bubanza and Kayanza in the north; and Muramvya, Bururi, and Cibitoke on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In May 2004, the CNDD-FDD informed Landmine Monitor that its fighters had laid mines in Bigwago, Buga, Bugerere, Buhemba, Busasa, Gasana, Gitwa, Kayenge, Kayogoro, Kibago, Marembo, Muguruka, Nyabaraga, Nyarubanga, Nyarubindi and Nyanza Lac in the province of Makamba; in Biharo and Gatonga in Rutana province; in Rugazi and Kirama in Bubanza province; as well as along the edge of the la Kibira, and Bukeye in Muramvya province.[48] The mines used were improvised explosive devices attached to antipersonnel mines of Soviet origin.[49]

According to 2002 UNICEF figures, there were 23 mine-affected communes in Burundi.[50] For 2003, Landmine Monitor counts 27 mine-affected communes in only five out of Burundi’s fifteen provinces, based on casualties in those locations. The number of affected communes over the whole territory is most likely higher. Landmine Monitor has also been told that some electrical infrastructure is protected by antipersonnel mines. The pillars along the line between Bubanza and Bujumbura, and the line between Bubanza and Ndava, are reportedly surrounded by electric wire fencing, with antipersonnel mines inside the fence lines. This electrical infrastructure is said to be under the protection of an Israeli firm, AD Consultants.[51]

According to a consultant for UNICEF’s Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) who conducted a mission in Burundi from 15 to 24 October 2003, the mine threat consists of defensive mining of military positions, electric pylons, and in some case IDP camps, by government forces, as well as "barrier" minefields established by government forces along the border with Tanzania to “prevent infiltration.”[52] He reports that rebels carried out small-scale "terror" mining of paths and areas controlled by their forces.[53] He added, "With the exception of the Tanzanian border (and more recently around the capital) extensive minefields appear to be rare. Mines laid around government positions are usually temporary and often removed and used elsewhere when the unit moves on. There have been problems of mines being missed during removal and causing injury to the civilian population weeks or months later. The laying of mines around electricity pylons is a particular problem for the civilian population."[54] Incidents are likely to increase with as many as 500,000 refugees estimated by UNHCR to return to Burundi in the next three years,[55] especially in Makamba province with the return of refugees from Tanzania.[56]

The 2 December 2002 cease-fire agreement between the Burundi government and the CNDD-FDD obliges the parties to mark mined areas, to provide maps of mined areas, and to demine. It did not appear that either side had begun this process by June 2004. Mined or suspected areas are not marked or fenced. At a March 2004 regional landmine workshop, Burundi reported that while mapping and marking has not been carried out, preliminary assessments have been carried out in six out of 17 provinces. It was noted, “No plan of action has yet been drawn, but there is a clear will from all actors to address the problem.”[57]

Between 7 and 17 March 2004, the NGO DanChurchAid conducted an assessment mission in Burundi, including provinces bordering Tanzania and the Kibondo refugee camps in Tanzania. It concluded that "although the mine problem [was] limited to specific provinces in Burundi, in those it [presented] a significant humanitarian problem, even more so as the large repatriation of the refugee and internally displaced population is expected."[58] In Makamba province fertile agricultural land is mined, preventing people, including returning refugees, access to land needed for their survival.[59] Beginning in May 2004, DanChurchAid planned to launch a survey, marking and mine clearance program in Makamba province.[60]

Mine Action Coordination and Planning

The Department for Civil Protection (DCP) in the Ministry of Interior and Public Security is in charge of mine action in Burundi. After the heavy fighting in Bujumbura in July 2003, the DCP installed a "red line" that can be dialed directly to rapidly alert police in case a suspect device is found.[61]

The UN peacekeeping mission, United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB), in Burundi since 1 June 2004, is authorized to coordinate and conduct mine action activities in support of its mandate.[62] Following a UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations assessment mission to Burundi from 21 to 29 February 2004, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) started establishing a mine action center within UNOB Headquarters in Bujumbura to support the new peacekeeping mission in Burundi.[63] As of mid-2004, three international NGOs (Handicap International, DanChurchAid and the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action) were preparing to implement mine risk education projects and emergency surveys in the country.[64]

The Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD), together with its local partner CIRID, developed a mine action plan to create local demining structures in the short term, and a national autonomous demining capacity in the long term.[65] FSD plans to carry out a combined impact and technical survey.[66] Any survey and mine clearance activity would also be accompanied by mine risk education.[67] The total budget for the FSD program for six months in 2004 is SFR880,183 (about $687,000).[68] The cost of mine risk education during that period is budgeted at SFR88,028 (about $69,000).[69]

Mine Clearance

In February 2004, Burundi announced it could achieve a mine-free status within ten years, and "probably even within three years if it had international assistance."[70] However, no humanitarian mine clearance has been conducted in Burundi, and no concrete mine action plan has been established.[71] Currently, populations such as those living in Mutimbuzi commune in Rural Bujumbura province try to clear the mines by setting their fields on fire.[72]

At a press conference in Bujumbura on 5 January 2004, the Secretary-General of the CNDD-FDD announced the intention of its forces to clear the mines the former rebel movement had laid in different areas.[73] He recommended the creation of a neutral civil demining body.[74]

In January 2004, Belgium stated it would be "entirely available to contribute if a mine clearance program was set up in Burundi."[75]

Between 1 July and 8 August 2003, one soldier received trained in demining techniques at the regional mine clearance training center in Ouidah, Benin.[76]

Mine Risk Education

At the 27 June 2003 workshop in Bujumbura on the Mine Ban Treaty, the Ministry of Interior and Public Security presented its 2003 mine risk education (MRE) action plan.[77] It was focused around “a media campaign, including the training of grass-roots community trainers on the risk posed by mines and the setting up of a data bank detailing mine victims and informing such victims on how to get assistance.”[78] According to a UNICEF report, all staff working on the MRE program are ex-police or military, and they are not trained in educational techniques or health-related issues.[79]

Between July and November 2003, with the support of UNICEF, the Department for Civil Protection conducted an MRE campaign in the five most mine-affected provinces: Rutana, Bubanza, Makamba, Ruyigi and Rural Bujumbura. Its objectives were to ensure that, by 2 November 2003, at least 25 percent of the population in the hills most at risk would have had access to mine risk education; that knowledge of the Mine Ban Treaty would have been reinforced among all parties to the conflict, at both the local and national level; that conditions would be in place for a mission to assess the needs of mine survivors; that a minimum of 20 percent of survivors who do not have prostheses would be informed of the possibilities of support; and that a pilot phase for national coordination of MRE by the DCP would have been completed.[80]

To reach these objectives, initial contacts with all relevant government and civil structures were to be made; at the community level, each provincial coordinator was to hold 64 MRE meetings, providing 70 percent of the population around each site with MRE messages; 40 mine action committees were to be created in each province, of which 25 were to be active by November 2003; four, three-day training sessions were to be provided to teachers in affected areas in each province; five emergency MRE kits were to be created, and five emergency MRE activities carried out; a local launch of the program was to be held in each of the five targeted provinces; and begin identifying victim assistance programs. Additionally, “Operation Radio” was to be launched, including the production of an MRE radio series and briefing of radio journalists. Finally the MRE program would create a minefield marking group consisting of military, government, and possibly NGO personnel, to meet for the first time in September 2003, and to have marked 25 areas by March 2004.[81]

UNICEF’s regional office (ESARO) evaluated the program and found that although initial contacts have been made and the program launched to some extent, it was not clear how widely information had been disseminated. No emergency kits had been prepared, nor had radio activities been undertaken. No mine groups had been formed nor had any material for minefield marking been budgeted for or procured. No MRE sessions had been held in Rugazi, Muzigati or Mpanda. Although probably priority zones, these areas have been inaccessible to government personnel.[82]

In Bubanza, twenty committees have been created, but none are operational. One training session took place for twenty-five primary school teachers and administrators have been trained. In Bubanza, approximately 2,000 leaflets were distributed. ESARO noted that 45-minute MRE sessions were lectures to groups of between 30-100 individuals of all ages, with very limited scope of participation of any kind, and the only tools available for the sessions were the leaflets.[83]

According to an August 2003 activity report, a total of 387 people received MRE information. This figure represents far “less than the 70 percent target for these areas (population for Gitanga commune is 36,000). It would appear unlikely that the methodology used for dissemination of messages will have allowed for a good retention of messages. MRE sessions are generally held between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.. Given that most of the active population are in their fields or engaged in other household or income generating activities during this period, it is unlikely that those most at risk are being directly targeted successfully. ESARO concludes that the impact of the approach for MRE sessions likely is ‘extremely limited.’"[84]

ESARO is concerned that the DCP has "substantially undershot its targets."[85] Colonel Nimbesha indicated that one reason for the delay in attaining targets was the attack on Bujumbura in July 2003. Delays in accessing funding from UNICEF were also identified as slowing down the program.[86]

Since May 2004, following an assessment mission in March 2004, DanChurchAid is conducting mine risk education for refugees in the Kibondo refugee camps in western Tanzania.[87] One member of the DCP MRE team based in Makamba province provides MRE information to refugees at the crossing point of Cankuzo. It is estimated that approximately 200 to 300 refugees are briefed each week.[88] However, if the number of returning refugees substantially increases, it will be "necessary to review and strengthen this process."[89] UNICEF believes that the need for MRE is likely to increase as a number of refugees might return to Burundi and the internally displaced would have more freedom of movement.[90]

In the future, Burundi’s mine risk education program is to be coordinated by a steering committee of representatives of various ministries, the UN and NGOs. It is to oversee the work of the national coordination office, to include a project coordinator, an information system manager, and five provincial coordinators. The provincial coordinators will be assisted by two facilitators providing the links with the communities, while at the community level MRE activities will be undertaken by mine action committees. As of September 2004, the committee was not yet in place. Its coordinator also functions as the head of the Public Security department.

In 2003, the Burundi mine risk education program received US$110,535. In 2002, it received $29,098. Of the two-year total, $19,754 came form UNICEF general funds and $119,879 from the Netherlands emergency funds. The money was used for MRE consultants in 2002 and 2003, the purchase of a vehicle and computer equipment, MRE training, and the development of a report on mine victims in Burundi in 2001-2002.[91]

Landmine Casualties

In 2003, there were at least 174 new civilian mine/UXO casualties in Burundi. However, it is likely that the number of reported incidents does not reflect the actual number of mine casualties, as those who are killed or injured in remote areas may not be reported.[92] Information on military casualties is not publicly available.[93]

The Department for Civil Protection reported 161 new civilian casualties in 2003, including 51 people killed and 110 injured; 33 were children. Three of those killed were nationals from Tanzania. Casualties were reported in five out of the 17 provinces: Bujumbura Rural (51), Rutana (39), Makamba (30), Bubanza (23), and Ruyigi (18). Antipersonnel mines were the cause of at least 118 casualties.[94] Other reports claim that four people are killed by mines every month in the southern province of Makamba, most are refugees coming home from Tanzania.[95] In addition, five people were killed and five injured in four reported mine incidents in Kayanza province.[96] In Cibitoke province, a 14-year-old boy was injured by a mine in September 2003.[97] Landmine Monitor identified two Burundian landmine casualties hospitalized inside Tanzania in 2003.[98] Several animals were also killed by antipersonnel mines.[99]

Casualties continue to be reported in 2004. In the first three months, the Department for Civil Protection recorded 27 civilian mine/UXO casualties (five killed and 22 injured) in five provinces.[100] In addition, two people were injured in Muramvuya province and one injured in Bururi province in three mine incidents.[101] One soldier was killed and about 15 others injured in several antipersonnel mine incidents in March and April in Bujumbura Rural province.[102]

There is no systematic national data collection mechanism in Burundi, however, between November 2002 and January 2003 UNICEF conducted a survey on civilian casualties in 2001 and 2002 to determine the extent of the mine and UXO problem in the country.[103] The national survey was not exhaustive and it is believed that not all mine/UXO casualties were identified. According to other humanitarian actors, mine incidents were becoming “more and more frequent” in 2002.[104]

In 2002, there were at least 114 new civilian mine/UXO casualties (26 killed and 88 injured), including 23 children. Antipersonnel mines caused 87 casualties; antivehicle mines caused eight, and UXO caused 19. In 2001, 116 new civilian mine/UXO casualties (18 were killed and 98 injured) were reported, including 18 children. All the casualties were caused by antipersonnel mines.[105]

The total number of mine casualties in Burundi is not known. In 1998, a UN Assessment Mission to Burundi reported that landmines had caused 487 civilian casualties (300 killed and 187 injured) and 304 military casualties (92 killed and 212 injured).[106] However, other sources report 364 mine casualties (52 percent killed) between 1996 and 1998; the majority of casualties were due to antivehicle mines.[107] In December 2000, an international aid worker reported that there were about two new mine casualties each month along the Tanzanian border.[108]

Survivor Assistance

Burundi's healthcare system has deteriorated since 1993, and the availability of qualified staff, basic medical supplies and medicines is limited. Emergency care at the site of a mine explosion and fast transport to the nearest health facility are reportedly almost non-existent. Five hospitals can provide specialized care for mine casualties; however four are in the capital, Bujumbura. The Kamenge Military Hospital is the best equipped to provide specialized trauma services, and rehabilitation. Serious cases are sent to hospitals in Nairobi (Kenya) or in Johannesburg (South Africa) if necessary. Physiotherapy and orthopedic services are inadequate to meet the demand, and programs for psycho-social support are only in their infancy. The government acknowledges the problems, but is limited by a lack of financial resources.[109] In July 2004, the government signed a memorandum of understanding with UNHCR, UNICEF and WHO to improve the quality of healthcare through the rehabilitation of ten hospitals and 200 health centers in ten provinces and the provision of equipment and essential medicines.[110]

Since 2000, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has supported hospitals and health centers in Bujumbura, Gitega, Kamenge (military hospital), Kirundo, Muyinga, Ngozi and Ruyigi with medicines and surgical supplies. The supplies enabled the hospitals to provide surgical treatment for 136 mine casualties: 37 in 2003; 25 in 2002; 69 in 2001; and five in 2000. In September 2003, around 30 surgeons and nurses participated in a week-long seminar on war surgery at the Prince Regent Charles Hospital in Bujumbura; in 2002, 24 Burundian and expatriate specialists were trained.[111]

At least 53 Burundian mine casualties have also received treatment in hospitals in Tanzania; two in 2003; eight in 2002; and 43 in 2001.[112]

Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) continues to provide basic medical and surgical care to civilians in the Bujumbura, Bujumbura Rural, Cankuzo (until April 2004), Karuzi, and Makamba provinces, and provides a referral service and transport to rehabilitation facilities.

Burundi has nine physical rehabilitation centers; however, their capacity to provide assistance varies. Three of these centers also provide vocational training.[113] The quality of some prostheses is reportedly poor.[114] Over the past five years, there has been limited improvement in the area of physical rehabilitation particularly in the production of prostheses and other assistive devices, through the training of technicians and better infrastructure at some facilities.[115]

Handicap International (HI) has a program to assist people with disabilities, including war victims and mine survivors. HI supports three orthopedic workshops, the Saint Kizito Institute in Bujumbura, the National Rehabilitation Center in Gitega, and the Center Saint Jean-Bosco in Muyinga, with the supply of equipment and material, production of technical aids, and training of technicians and physical therapists. In 2003, the three centers assisted 2,311 people, including ten mine survivors, produced 131 above- and below-knee prostheses and distributed six wheelchairs and 126 tricycles; 41 prostheses were produced in 2002. HI provided training for 19 orthopedic technicians and 46 physical therapists/assistants at the three centers in 2003; 24 technicians and 41 physical therapists received training in 2002. HI is also active in raising awareness of the needs and rights of persons with disabilities and in the creation of a database on associations of persons with disabilities.[116]

The Saint Kizito Institute in Bujumbura is a residential school, rehabilitation center and orthopedic workshop for children; 143 children have a disability, including ten mine survivors. The workshop and rehabilitation center assists about 70 people each month. Since 2001, about 100 mine survivors have been assisted at Saint Kitizo.[117]

The National Rehabilitation Center in Gitega is the only state-run rehabilitation center. From January 2000 to February 2004, at least 15 mine survivors received treatment and prostheses; most were brought to the center by MSF from Makamba province. It is believed that many more mine survivors need assistance but cannot access the center. One mine survivor, at the center in February 2004, was injured in Makamba in 1997 and was only recently able to travel to Gitega to be fitted with her first artificial limb. Immediately after the mine explosion it had taken three hours to walk to the nearest health post.[118]

In May 2002 a South African company, African Medical Assistance, entered into an agreement with the Institute of National Social Security (INSS) for the supply of prostheses, linked to a physical rehabilitation training program and support for local authorities.[119]

In 2001, the Indian NGO Help Handicapped International started the Jaipur Foot Center in Bujumbura, as part of a program supported by the Rotary Club of Bujumbura to produce and fit artificial limbs. In 2003, 111 amputees were fitted with prostheses free-of-charge; eight were mine survivors. From 2001 to September 2004, 636 prostheses were produced, including 28 for landmine survivors.[120]

The local NGO, Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Services, provides counseling to persons traumatized by the war in Gitega, Ruyigi, Ngozi, Muramvya and Makamba; 11 mine survivors were assisted in 2003.[121] The Burundian Association for Assistance of the Physically Disabled and the Union of Disabled Persons also provide psychosocial support to persons with disabilities, including mine survivors.[122]

In December 2000, the National Army launched a program to train 140 disabled military personnel in computer skills, electrical trades, masonry, or carpentry; many were reportedly mine survivors. When training is completed, the graduates are returned to military barracks to carry out activities relevant to their training. The Army plans to continue the program, which assists only military personnel.[123]

Disability Policy and Practice

No specific disability law exists.[124] Only two provisions relate to people with disabilities, the social security law 1/010 of 16 June 1999, and the decree-law 1/024 of April 1993, Reforming the Persons and Family Code, art. 359-370.[125] The Ministry of Social Affairs and Promotion of Women is responsible for issues relating to mine survivors and other persons with disabilities, but collaborates with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Displaced and Repatriated People.[126]

The cease-fire agreement between the Burundi government and the CNDD-FDD stipulates that particular attention should be paid to combatants and civilians disabled and mutilated by the war.[127]

Military mine survivors who cannot return to duties receive a pension from the Ministry of National Defense. Civilian survivors employed by the government are entitled to a pension, if contributing to the INSS. Farmers, who are the majority of the casualties, do not get any compensation.[128]

In February 2002, the government introduced a “cost recovery” system, in which the patient must pay for medical treatment and medicines. This policy reportedly excludes almost one million people (about 20 percent of the population) from access to healthcare.[129]


[1] The treaty was ratified with Law 1/010 of 22 July 2003; the instrument of ratification was deposited at the United Nations on 22 October 2003.
[2] Interview with Adrien Ndikuriyo, Director, Engineers Department, Ministry of Defense, Geneva, 23 June 2004.
[3] Statement by Burundi, Workshop on Landmines in East Africa, the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa held in Nairobi, Kenya, 2-4 March 2004, reported in ICRC Report on the Workshop, p. 12.
[4] Landmine Monitor Report 2003, p. 509.
[5] ICBL, “Campaign Calls on Burundi to Implement Landmine Ban,” Press Release, 20 February 2004.
[6] In the past, some officials said Burundi had no stockpiles at all, while others acknowledged having some for training purposes. There has also been different information about what happens to mines seized from rebels. Some officials declared such mines were always destroyed, while others said the mines were sometimes kept by the Army. See Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 538, and previous editions of the Landmine Monitor.
[7] Letter to the UNDDA office and other international organizations in Geneva from the Permanent Mission of Burundi to the UN in Geneva, 7 August 2001; letter to Landmine Monitor (Mary Wareham) from Thérence Sinunguruza, Minister of External Relations and Cooperation, 23 October 2002; interview with government representatives, ICBL/LM regional meeting, Cercle Nautique, Bujumbura, 20 February 2004; Statements to the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 12 February 2004 and 24 June 2004 (Landmine Monitor/HRW notes).
[8] Statement by Burundi, Workshop on Landmines, Nairobi, 2-4 March 2004.
[9] Statement to the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, 24 June 2004.
[10] Statement by CNDD-FDD representatives, ICBL/LM regional meeting, Bujumbura, 20 February 2004; statement by Hussein Radjabu, Secretary-General, CNDD-FDD, at the workshop “From Bujumbura to Nairobi: a road without mines?” 20 February 2004.
[11] “Burundi: ex-rebel movement in plea over landmine use,” IRIN, 6 January 2004.
[12] Interview with Gervais Rufyikiri, Spokesperson, CNDD-FDD, Bujumbura, 16 February 2004; interview with Patrick Hirard, Program Officer, Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD), Bujumbura, 17 February 2004; letter of the CNDD-FDD to FSD, 24 January 2004; Annex 2 of the document “Action contre les mines au Burundi,” p. 17, provided by Hansjörg Eberle, General Director, FSD, 15 April 2004.
[13] “Action contre les mines au Burundi,” p. 6, provided by FSD, 15 April 2004.
[14] Interview with Patrick Hirard, FSD, 19 February 2004.
[15] Interview with Gervais Rufyikiri, CNDD-FDD, 16 February 2004; Statement by CNDD-FDD representatives, 20 February 2004; Statement by Hussein Radjabu, CNDD-FDD, 20 February 2004.
[16] Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p. 135; Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp. 153-154; Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 199-202; Landmine Monitor Report 2002, pp. 538-540; Landmine Monitor Report 2003, pp. 509-512.
[17] Letter to Landmine Monitor from Amb. Thomas Ndikumana, Embassy of the Republic of Burundi, Washington, DC, 30 August 2000; Statement by Burundi, Second Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 12 September 2000; Interview with Col. Juvenal Bujeje, Chief of Operations, Ministry of Defense, Bujumbura 12 January 2001; Statement by Burundi, Third Meeting of States Parties, Managua, 18-21 September 2001; Interview with Col. Nicodème Nduhirubusa and Col. Juvenal Bujeje, Geneva, 30 January 2002; Letter to Landmine Monitor (HRW) from Col. Nicodème Ndahirubusa, Advisor, Minister of Foreign Relations and Cooperation, 26 July 2002.
[18] Médecins sans Frontières-Belgique, “Récapitulatif des incidents par mines au Burundi- Period 1996-1998,” p. 1.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp. 153-154; Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 199-202; UNICEF Burundi, “Mine Victims in Burundi in 2001-2002,” 2003, p. 29; UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, “Summary Report of Findings And Recommendations - Burundi Mine Action Program,” prepared by Andy Wheatley, Consultant, undated 2004.
[21] MSF, “Récapitulatif des incidents,” p. 1; UNICEF, “Burundi Mine Action Program,” 2004.
[22] “UNMAS Burundi assessment mission report,” in Mine Action Support Group Newsletter, March 2004; Landmine Monitor Report 2003, pp. 509-512; “Portfolio of mine-related projects 2003,” October 2002, pp. 66-67.
[23] During the November 2002 Landmine Monitor field trip, numerous discussions were held with various humanitarian relief providers participating in the weekly Contact Group Meetings at OCHA as well as with diplomats, who have received mine-related information through their military and rebel sources.
[24] Landmine Monitor Report 2003, pp. 509-512.
[25] Article II.1.5 of the Cease Fire Agreement of 2 December 2002.
[26] Articles B.1.6 and B.1.12 of Annex 1 to the Cease Fire Agreement of 2 December 2002.
[27] Article 1.1.14 of Annex 1 to the Cease Fire Agreement of 2 December 2002.
[28] Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 201.
[29] Letter from Amb. Ndikumana, 30 August 2000; Statement by Burundi, 2MSP, 12 September 2000; Statement by Burundi, 3MSP, 18-21 September 2001; letter from Col. Ndahirubusa, 26 July 2002.
[30] Information provided to Landmine Monitor (Charles Ndayiziga) by Yan Lucia, Head of Mission, Médecins sans Frontières-Belgique, Bujumbura, 22 March 2004.
[31] Information provided to Landmine Monitor (Charles Ndayiziga) by Lucia Casero Villar, Head of Mission, MSF-B, Bujumbura, April 2004.
[32] Radio Publique Africaine, 4 September 2003.
[33] Information provided by Lucia Casero Villar, MSF-B, April 2004.
[34] Ibid.
[35] “Burundi: Landmines continue to kill, maim every year,” IRIN, 29 August 2003.
[36] “Burundi: ex-rebel movement,” IRIN, 6 January 2004.
[37] Interview with Adrien Ndikuriyo, Ministry of Defense, 23 June 2004.
[38] “UN operation in Burundi ‘strongly’ denounces acts of violence against civilians,” AFP, (Bujumbura), 13 August 2004.
[39] UNICEF, “Burundi Mine Action Program,” 2004, p. 6.
[40] Geneva Call, Press Release, 15 December 2003.
[41] “Burundi: ex-rebel movement,” IRIN, 6 January 2004.
[42] Interview with Gervais Rufyikiri, CNDD-FDD, 16 February 2004; Statement by CNDD-FDD representatives, 20 February 2004; Statement by Hussein Radjabu, CNDD-FDD, 20 February 2004.
[43] Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp. 135-136; Letter from Amb. Thomas Ndikumana, 30 August 2000; Statement by Burundi, 2MSP, 12 September 2000; Interview with Col. Juvenal Bujeje, 8 May 2001; "Violent clashes raging west of Bujumbura," Panafrican News Agency, 15 March 2004.
[44] “Trois rebelles et un soldat tués dans l'ouest du Burundi” (Three rebels and one soldier killed in west Burundi), Agence France-Presse, 5 April 2004.
[45] Interview with Adrien Ndikuriyo, Ministry of Defense, 23 June 2004; “Violent clashes,” Panafrican News Agency, 15 March 2004; “Fighting between rebels and army in southwestern Burundi kills four people,” Associated Press, 5 April 2004.
[46] “Fighting between rebels and army in southwestern Burundi,” AP, 5 April 2004.
[47] “UNMAS Burundi assessment mission report,” MASG Newsletter, March 2004; UNMAS, “New Peacekeeping Operation in Burundi Includes Effort to Address Landmine Problem,” Press Release, June 2004.
[48] Interview with Col. Godefroid Bizimana, CNDD-FDD, Bujumbura, 17 May 2004.
[49] Ibid.
[50] UNICEF Burundi, “Mine Victims in Burundi in 2001-2002,” pp. 12 and 23-24.
[51] Interview with technician of REGIDESO (National Water and Electricity Company), who requested anonymity, 26 November 2002. He said, “One is told that the electricity lines are protected by the Israelis, but in reality, they are protected by antipersonnel mines.” Also, interview with staff of ITEKA, Bujumbura, 4 November 2002; interview with diplomat, who requested anonymity, Bujumbura, November 2002.
[52] UNICEF, “Burundi Mine Action Program,” 2004, p. 1.
[53] Ibid
[54] Ibid.
[55] UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General on Burundi, S/2004/210, 16 March 2004; “Burundi: returning internally displaced in urgent need of assistance and protection,” Refugees International, 24 May 2004.
[56] UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, p. 2 and footnote 1: “The CAP for Burundi released in November 2003 estimates a total of 750,000 IDP's and refugees of whom 200,000 are in camps in Tanzania.”
[57] Statement by Burundi, Workshop on Landmines, Nairobi, 2-4 March 2004.
[58] Assessment mission letter from Eva Veble, MRE-Advocacy Officer, DanChurchAid, 28 April 2004.
[59] Ibid.
[60] Ibid; email to Landmine Monitor (Marielle Hallez) from Eva Veble, DCA, 3 June 2004.
[61] Mamadou Bineta, “Burundi: armée et rebelles ont miné le pays,” InfoSud (Syfia), 29 July 2003.
[62] UN Security Council, “Security Council, unanimously adopting resolution 1545 (2004), authorizes UN operation in Burundi for initial six-month period," 21 May 2004.
[63] “24 June 2004 Update of UNMAS report on assessment mission to Burundi,” provided to Landmine Monitor, 25 June 2004; UNMAS, “New Peacekeeping Operation,” Press Release, June 2004.
[64] “24 June 2004 Update of UNMAS report on assessment mission to Burundi.”
[65] “Action contre les mines au Burundi,” provided by FSD, 15 April 2004, p. 6.
[66] Ibid, p. 8.
[67] Ibid, pp. 9-10.
[68] Ibid, p. 7.
[69] Ibid, p. 15.
[70] Statement by Col. Antoine Nimbesha, General Director, Civil Protection Department, Ministry of Interior, at the ICBL/LM/CENAP workshop “From Bujumbura to Nairobi: a road without mines?” 20 February 2004; Statement by government representatives, ICBL/LM regional meeting, Bujumbura, 20 February 2004.
[71] Interview with Adrien Ndikuriyo, Ministry of Defense, 23 June 2004.
[72] Radio Publique Africaine, 8 June 2004.
[73] CNDD-FDD, Press Release, 5 January 2004; “Burundi: ex-rebel movement,” IRIN, 6 January 2004.
[74] “Landmines Threaten Burundian rural dwellers,” Panafrican News Agency, 6 January 2004.
[75] Statement by Marc Verwilghen, Minister of Cooperation and Development, Forum of the Partners of Burundi, Brussels, Belgium, 13-14 January 2004.
[76] “Benin Mine Clearance Training Center,” provided to Landmine Monitor by Thomas Adoumasse, Deputy Director, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, February 2004.
[77] Landmine Monitor Burundi researcher attended this meeting.
[78] “Burundi embarks on awareness campaign on dangers of antipersonnel mines,” AFP, 27 June 2003.
[79] UNICEF, “Burundi Mine Action Program,” 2004, p. 3.
[80] Ibid, p. 6.
[81] Ibid, pp. 6-7.
[82] Ibid, p. 8.
[83] Ibid.
[84] Ibid.
[85] Ibid, p. 9.
[86] Ibid, p. 8.
[87] Letter from Eva Veble, DCA, 28 April 2004; email from Eva Veble, DCA, 3 June 2004.
[88] UNICEF, “Burundi Mine Action Program,” 2004, p. 2.
[89] Ibid.
[90] UNICEF, “Mine Victims in Burundi in 2001-2002,” p. 3.
[91] UNICEF, “Burundi Mine Action Program,” 2004, p. 4.
[92] Interview with Lucia Casero Villar, Head of Mission, MSF-B, Bujumbura, 22 March 2004; interview with Jean Luc Klister, Director, UN Security Unit, Bujumbura, 4 February 2002.
[93] Interview with Adrien Ndikuriyo, Ministry of Defense, 23 June 2004.
[94] Landmine Monitor analysis of “Tableau Récapitulatif des données sur les victimes civiles de mines antipersonnel et UXO (2003-March 2004),” Department for Civil Protection, Ministry of Interior and Public Security, information sent by Liliane Bigayimpunzi, UNICEF, Bujumbura, 25 May 2004.
[95] “Burundi: ex-rebel movement,” IRIN, 6 January 2004.
[96] Information provided by Lucia Casero Villar, MSF-B, 22 March 2004; and information provided on Radio Publique Africaine and Radio Isanganiro, 13 February 2003; Radio Bonesha and Radio Publique Africaine, 1 May 2003; and Radio Publique Africaine, 12 May 2003.
[97] Information provided by Lucia Casero Villar, MSF-B, 22 March 2004.
[98] Landmine Monitor/Tanzania field visit in Tanzania review of records from International Rescue Committee dated 15 January 2002 to 11 March 2004.
[99] Radio interview with a veterinary surgeon and a farmer from Bujumbura Rural by Radio Publique Africaine, 23 July 2003.
[100] Landmine Monitor analysis of “Tableau Récapitulatif,” 25 May 2004.
[101] Information provided by Lucia Casero Villar, MSF-B, 22 March 2004.
[102] “Three rebels and one soldier killed in west Burundi,” AFP, 5 April 2004.
[103] UNICEF Burundi, “Mine Victims in Burundi in 2001-2002,” 2003, pp. 7-11.
[104] Information exchanged by humanitarian actors at the weekly UN security briefings; interview with Ann Ottosson, Senior Nurse, MSF-B, Bujumbura, 5 November 2002; interview with Nicolas de Borman, Cordaid, 2 November 2002; interview with Stephane Lobjois, Program Director, Handicap International, 2 November 2002.
[105] UNICEF Burundi, “Mine Victims in Burundi in 2001-2002,” 2003, pp. 11-12.
[106] United Nations, “Inter-Agency Assessment Mission Report, Burundi,” 24 August 1998.
[107] MSF-B, “Récapitulatif des incidents par mines au Burundi,” p. 1.
[108] Aid worker interviewed in confidence, 22 December 2000.
[109] Presentations by the delegation of the Republic of Burundi to the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 10 February 2004 and 23 June 2004.
[110] “UN agencies team up to provide health care for refugees returning to Burundi,” UN News Service, 22 July 2004.
[111] ICRC Special Reports, “Mine Action 2003,” Geneva, August 2004, p. 20; “Mine Action 2002,” July 2003, p. 19; “Mine Action 2001,” July 2002, p. 16; “Mine Action 2000,” July 2001, p. 13; telephone interview with Gilbert Niyonkuru, Information Officer, ICRC, Bujumbura, 6 July 2004.
[112] Landmine Monitor/Tanzania field visits in Tanzania, review of records from International Rescue Committee dated 15 January 2002 to 11 March 2004; UNICEF Burundi, “Mine Victims in Burundi in 2001-2002,” p. 28.
[113] Handicap International, Landmine Victim Assistance: World Report 2002, Lyon, December 2002, p. 69.
[114] Interview with Col. Nicodème Ndhuhiribusa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bujumbura, 5 November 2002.
[115] Landmine Monitor Victim Assistance Research Coordinator visit to Burundi, February 2004.
[116] Email to Landmine Monitor (HI) from Juerg Friedli, Program Director, HI Burundi, 24 August 2004; email to Landmine Monitor (HI) from Robert Burny, Technical Support Department, Handicap International, Brussels, 4 August 2004; email to Landmine Monitor (HI) from Stéphane Lobjois, Program Director, Handicap International Burundi, 2 July 2003; interview with Robert Burny, Desk Officer, Handicap International, Brussels, 15 July 2003.
[117] Notes taken by Landmine Monitor Victim Assistance Research Coordinator during visit to Saint Kitizo Institute, Bujumbura, 20 February 2004.
[118] Notes taken by Landmine Monitor Victim Assistance Research Coordinator during visit to the center; and interview with Saku Bu Beolin, mine survivor, National Rehabilitation Center, Gitega, 19 February 2004.
[119] Landmine Monitor (South Africa) interview with Christo Schutte, Africa Medical Assistance, 2 July 2002.
[120] Interview with Anand Rairakhia, Rotary Club, Bujumbura, 21 September 2004; Mahendra Gafurchand Mehta, Trustee, Help Handicapped International, Mumbai, response to Landmine Monitor Survivor Assistance questionnaire, 20 August 2004.
[121] Interview with Béatrice Gakobwa, Psychologist, Victims of Torture project, Bujumbura, 5 July 2004; telephone interview with David Niyonzima, Secretary-General, Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Services, 2 July 2004.
[122] Presentation by the delegation of the Republic of Burundi to the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 23 June 2004.
[123] Interview with Major Haziyo Serges, Director, Cabinet of the Ministry of Defense, Bujumbura, 12 January 2001; interview with disabled soldiers, Bujumbura, November 2001.
[124] Interview with Adrien Ndikuriyo, Ministry of Defense, 23 June 2004.
[125] Handicap International, Landmine Victim Assistance: World Report 2002, Lyon, December 2002, p. 67.
[126] Meeting with representatives of the government, Landmine Monitor Researchers Meeting, Bujumbura, 20 February 2004.
[127] Article 1.1.14 of Annex 1 to the Cease Fire Agreement of 2 December 2002.
[128] Interview with Colonel Nicodéme Ndhuhiribusa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bujumbura, 5 November 2002.
[129] “Accès aux soins de santé au Burundi, Résultats de 3 enquêtes épidémiologiques,” Médecins sans Frontières, March 2004, p. 52.