Has Tanzania Forgotten Its Traditional Role as a Mediator?
The announcement of a constitutional revision, decided by the Council of Ministers on October 24, 2017, poses a serious threat to peace in Burundi. This initiative is supposedly inspired by an internal, non-inclusive dialogue launched on January 19, 2016, in Kirundo—designed to compete with, and ultimately replace, the external and inclusive dialogue led by Benjamin Mkapa since March 2016, which now shows alarming signs of exhaustion. Furthermore, the East African mediation appears to have never had clear objectives regarding the restoration of peace in Burundi and remains silent in the face of this descent into chaos, with the dialogue at a standstill. Even worse, the mediator in the Burundian crisis, Benjamin Mkapa, and Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli have now openly displayed their support for the Bujumbura regime, with the Mkapa-Magufuli tandem seemingly paving the way for President Nkurunziza without any regard for the external opposition.
Several incidents have demonstrated this bias, including the delaying tactics of mediator Benjamin Mkapa, who, during a visit to Bujumbura after a private meeting with the Burundian president, dismissed opponents of Nkurunziza’s illegal third term as insane. More recently, it is President Magufuli’s actions that have raised concerns. Radio France Internationale (RFI), in its July 20, 2017, report, highlighted the issue: “President Magufuli has multiplied gestures of friendship and support for his Burundian counterpart, whom he welcomed with great pomp in the small town of Ngara, about thirty kilometers from the border between the two countries. The Bulldozer, as he is called in his country, even urged more than 200,000 Burundian refugees in Tanzania to return to Burundi, where peace supposedly prevails!” Even more alarming, Tanzania followed through on this stance by forcibly repatriating hundreds of refugees under the pretext that peace had returned to Burundi.
The latest and one of the most symptomatic incidents of this collusion was the alleged arrest and illegal extradition, on October 21, 2017, of four leaders of the Burundian Popular Forces (FPB) movement. This act blatantly disregards ethical principles and relevant international laws on refugee protection and extradition.
Allowing what appears to be a kidnapping to take place on Tanzanian soil is yet another demonstration that this country has seemingly chosen its side definitively and that the mediation is now entirely meaningless. This is all the more striking when considering that, during its time as a rebel movement, the CNDD-FDD was hosted and supported by Tanzania, which facilitated mediation and provided refuge and a base for the armed opposition—without ever being pressured. Nonetheless, this did not prevent the historic Arusha Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Burundi from being concluded on Tanzanian soil on August 20, 2000, after nearly two years of negotiations. It is worth recalling that this very agreement was the result of the wisdom and determination of the mediators at the time, without whom the current Burundian leaders would never have gained power. Burying this agreement—widely regarded as the foundation of peace and stability in Burundi—is tantamount to reigniting a fuse that was on the verge of being extinguished.
Worsening the situation, instead of strengthening transitional justice mechanisms, the Burundian government officially withdrew from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on October 27, 2017. Many observers and experts interpret this withdrawal as an admission of guilt and a clear indication that Burundi intends to continue establishing a regime of terror, shielded from the scrutiny of international justice. What the current regime fails to acknowledge is that the ICC retains jurisdiction over crimes committed before the withdrawal took effect. These crimes have been extensively documented by a highly active civil society and are severe and numerous enough to weigh heavily on the leaders in Bujumbura.
Ultimately, the intransigence of the Burundian authorities since April 2015 serves only one purpose: securing power for life. This begins with a non-consensual constitutional revision, which consequently leads to the dismantling of the Arusha Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Burundi. This raises an unavoidable question: What has happened to Tanzania’s traditional role in all of this? This was once a country that wielded powerful tools, such as economic sanctions, to pressure overconfident regimes into negotiations. Why are today’s victims—including half a million Burundian refugees—abandoned by both the East African Community and Tanzania?
Given this deeply concerning situation, the Alliance of Burundians in Canada calls for a neutral mediation process. Tanzania’s close involvement has now become part of the problem rather than the solution for the Burundian people in general and the Burundian opposition in particular. It is more urgent than ever to consider a new approach before the situation deteriorates beyond repair. In other words, if nothing is done to prevent Nkurunziza from sabotaging any chance of restoring peace in his country, Burundi risks becoming the spark that ignites the entire Great Lakes region.
Issued in Ottawa on November 11, 2017
© The Alliance of Burundians in Canada (ABC)