OCHA Situation Report
Burundi Situation Report
21 - 31 October 2004


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES

1 Bujumbura Rural: Back-to-School follow-up

UNICEF Director for Eastern and Southern Africa Region, Per Engebak,
visited Burundi on 26-27 October to follow up on the Back-to-School
campaign launched by the Government of Burundi (GoB) on 14 October. With
UNICEF support and in cooperation with other UN agencies, the campaign is
targeting approximately 440,000 children through distributions of school
material complemented by other activities such as school canteens,
rehabilitation and equipment of schools. Engebak visited Kabezi in
Bujumbura Rural Province, together with UNICEF-Burundi Representative
Catherine Mbengue. UNICEF provided material for distribution to 2,605
children in the 18 temporary classrooms constructed by the International
Rescue Committee (IRC) as well as in the Kabezi primary school.

2 Rumonge Commune: cholera update

As of 30 October, 160 cholera cases and 1 death were reported, according
to the World Health Organization (WHO), who noted that the epidemic was
under control as less cases were being reported on a daily basis (five to
eight per day, as compared with 20 at the start of the outbreak on 12
October). Assistance is being provided by international NGOs IRC, CORDAID
and MSF-France. In order to find a long-term solution to this recurrent
situation, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the
national water authority, Regideso, are improving clean water provision
systems.

3 CNDD-FDD agrees to child soldier demobilization

Pierre Nkurunziza's Conseil National pour la Defense de la Democratie-
Forces pour la Defense de la Democratie (CNDD-FDD) has officially engaged
in the process of demobilization, reinsertion and reintegration of child
soldiers, UNICEF reported. The agency noted that since January 2004, 2,270
child soldiers had been demobilized and reintegrated in their communities
throughout Burundi. Most of these children were engaged in the ranks of
the army and the Guardiens de la paix civil defense forces. The process,
which is managed by the National Structure for the Demobilization,
Reinsertion and Reintegration of Child Soldiers, is supported financially
and technically by UNICEF. Coordinators from five other former rebel
groups have been trained and are part of the demobilization structure; the
coordinator appointed by Nkurunziza's CNDD-FDD will likewise undergo the
same training in order to begin identification of children, in
collaboration with focal points in pre-cantonment sites. Ten partner NGOs
have been identified and are simultaneously working on the reintegration
of children within their families and communities.

4 WFP update on food assistance

Between 25 and 31 October, the World Food Programme (WFP) distributed more
than 970 mt of food to some 125,000 beneficiaries through its different
program activities across the country. Distributions to vulnerable
households and conflict-affected populations took place in Bujumbura Rural
Province. WFP also assessed the needs and prepared distributions to
Burundian households returning to Kirundo Province from Rwanda. This
population had fled to Rwanda a few weeks ago, following radical political
statements threatening their security.

5 Refugees update

As of 31 October, UNHCR reported that 85,859 Burundian refugees (including
80,101 facilitated and 5,758 spontaneous returnees) had returned.
Meanwhile, WFP reported on 25 October that severe funding shortages had
forced a reduction in rations to some 400,000 Burundian and Congolese
refugees living in western Tanzania. The agency urgently appealed to
donors for US $14 million to prevent additional cuts and to continue
feeding refugees housed in 13 camps through the first half of next year.
With inadequate supplies of cereals and lentils, WFP said it had to reduce
the daily ration of the most important staple, maize, by 25%, to 1.9 kg
per person per week, down from 2.5 kg. WFP was recently forced to cut the
ration of lentils by a similar amount. Fears of insecurity or perceived
insecurity in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have
prevented many refugees from returning to their homes.

SECURITY INCIDENTS

Approximately one hundred cows were stolen Saturday night to Sunday
morning (23-24 October) in Rukoko area (Bujumbura Rural and Bubanza
provinces), Bonesha radio reported, adding that the Burundian army blamed
Agathon Rwasa's Front National de Liberation (FNL) movement and deplored
what it believed to be a lack of collaboration with neighboring DRC to
ensure security along the two countries' common border. Sources told
Bonesha that 30 cows were recovered and eight others shot, while the army
said that stolen cows were taken to the DRC. Likewise, on Monday 25
October, 45 cows belonging to Banyamulenge refugees in Cibitoke Province
were stolen and taken to the DRC.

On 27 October, 11 persons who had been detained by Pierre Nkurunziza's FDD
in Muhuta Commune, Bujumbura Rural Province, were released after having
been arrested on charges of collaboration with Agathon Rwasa's FNL, Radio
Publique Africaine (RPA) reported. FDD spokesman Jeremie Ngendakumana
denied charges that the individuals had been tortured.

The Burundi Customs Director was seriously wounded during what appeared to
be an assassination attempt on 28 October by two armed men who were
reportedly waiting for him as he entered Calvados restaurant, RPA
reported. His bodyguard was shot dead.

15 FNL rebels were killed and 13 guns seized during military operations by
Burundian armed forces on 27 October, Bonesha radio reported on 29
October, citing army spokesman Adolphe Manirakiza.

LATEST EVENTS AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS

A UN team probing the 13 August massacre of 152 Congolese Tutsi refugees
in Burundi said it had not been able to identify the perpetrators and was
recommending further investigation. Despite extensive research in both
Burundi and eastern DRC, the UN investigators said they were "at this
stage unable to conclusively identify who authored, financed, or carried
out the killings" of the Banyamulenge at the Gatumba transit center,
located just inside Burundi's border. However, the team said it had
"collected sufficient information about this grave crime to recommend a
thorough judicial inquiry" at both the national level, led by the GoB,
with the full cooperation of the DRC and Rwanda, and the international
level, led by the International Criminal Court." For the complete report,
go to:
http://ods-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N04/543/19/IMG/N0454319.pdf?OpenElement

By 31 October, six of 10 primarily Tutsi political parties had agreed to
recognize the interim Constitution ? which they had previously rejected ?
when the principal Tutsi party, l'Union pour le progres national (Uprona)
said it would join five other Tutsi parties that had already signed on.
However, Uprona president Jean-Baptiste Manwangari said his party would
continue to encourage dialogue leading to a Constitution agreeable to all
parties by the time of the national referendum, scheduled for 26 November.

24 of 54 senators wrote an open letter to the chairman of the Senate
urging him to resign because of his rejection of the draft post-transition
Constitution that would govern Burundi starting 1 November.

The African Development Bank (ADB) announced on 28 October that it would
forgive 35% of debt ? US $11.8 million ? owed it by Burundi, stating that
the country had made "enormous progress" in the re-establishment of peace,
improvement in governance and economy, and the promotion of reintegration
of displaced populations.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Burundi, ONUB, reported on 26 October that
it had secured areas in the country where former fighters would lay down
their arms in a process that could start on 29 November - a date agreed to
by the parties and others involved during meetings organized by a World
Bank delegation which was in Burundi from 21 to 24 October. "The blue
helmets are well deployed in different regions and they will guarantee the
security of the three demobilization centres," Mbaye Faye, chief of ONUB's
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) section, told the UN
News Service.

Belgium donated audiovisual material worth 200 million Burundian francs
(about US $170,000) to Radio/Television Nationale de Burundi (RTNB) on 25
October.

Through its "Justice and Democracy" project, international NGO Reseau des
Citoyens (RCN) said it had distributed material worth 80 million Burundian
francs (about US $70,000) to tribunals.

COORDINATION

Although the rate of repatriation of Burundian refugees from Tanzania has
significantly slowed in recent weeks, there have been continued reports of
people fleeing to both Rwanda and Tanzania following charged political
discourse alleging imminent ethnic conflict. In order to investigate these
rumors, OCHA conducted field visits to Ngozi and Kirundo provinces from
27-29 October. While an estimated 2,800 people, primarily Tutsi, had left
the two provinces during the preceding two weeks, rapid intervention by
GoB representatives ? including President Domitien Ndayizeye, Minister of
Good Governance Pierre Nkurunziza, and Minister of Repatriation,
Reinsertion, & Reintegration Francoise Ngendahayo ? have succeeded in
encouraging a movement of return to Burundi. Although it is clear that
rumors have triggered population movement, humanitarian actors on the
ground noted that movements were also heavily linked to food insecurity,
which has been exacerbated by the late arrival of the rainy season.
Furthermore, economic migration to Rwanda is a common practice in Ngozi
and Kirundo provinces.

On 25 October, OCHA conducted an evaluation mission to the Rusigabangazi
(about 400 households) and Murago (147 households) displacement sites in
Gisagara Commune, Cankuzo Province. Among its major findings were in the
domains of habitat, as many homes are little more than shacks made of wood
and straw; in food security, with populations requesting seeds,
mosaic-resistant manioc plants, and livestock ? most of which had been
pillaged by rebels; in affordable health care, as the nearest health
centers are at least 6 km away; and in education, with overcrowding a
major problem and no place for teachers to live.

For further information and contributions to future updates:

Matthew Conway and Adalaide Habonimana
OCHA Information Unit
E-mail: conwaym@un.org and habonimanaa@un.org

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