From Africa Recovery, Vol.12#4 (April 1999), Briefs page

Economic sanctions against Burundi suspended

East and Central African leaders suspended their economic sanctions against Burundi, following a 24 January summit in Arusha, Tanzania. Imposed days after Major Pierre Buyoya, a former military ruler of Burundi, took power on 25 July 1996, the sanctions aimed to restore constitutional order and force Mr. Buyoya into peace talks with Hutu rebels.

The sanctions are considered to have achieved some success: six weeks after their imposition, political parties and the national assembly were restored and peace talks between the government and the rebels began last summer. While the sanctions have done much to change the political face of Burundi, they have devastated the Burundi economy, said Mr. Denis Nshimirimana, Burundi's Minister for Public Works and a member of the mainly Hutu Frodebu party.

According to Mr. Astère Girukwigomba, Burundi's finance minister, the sanctions led to a 50 per cent loss in Burundi's export earnings in 1996 and a 25 per cent increase in import costs, while inflation rose from 26 per cent in 1996 to 31 per cent in 1997. Most importantly, the sanctions worsened conditions for the people of Burundi, he said.

Leaders at the Arusha meeting warned that the sanctions have not been unequivocally removed. While hopeful that peace is not too distant in Burundi's future, the leaders said they would carefully monitor progress in this area. A lack of sufficient progress on peace negotiations would mean a reconsideration of the sanctions. President Buyoya assured the leaders that the Burundi government would do everything possible to speed up the peace process.

Prospects for the resumption of international economic development activity in Burundi also have brightened recently, following a nearly three-year period of limited international assistance. At a conference held in New York at the United Nations on 11-12 January, donors agreed to provide $17.2 mn to finance community revitalization and income-earning projects in Burundi, according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP), a co-host of the conference.

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