 Background:
Burundi's
first democratically elected president was assassinated in
October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering
widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions.
More than 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that
spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of
Burundians were internally displaced or became refugees in
neighboring countries. An internationally brokered
power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government
and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition
process that led to an integrated defense force, established a
new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu
government in 2005. The new government, led by President
Pierre NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered ceasefire
with the country's last rebel group in September of 2006 but
still faces many challenges.
Borders:
Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda 290 km,
Tanzania 451 km
|
Population:
7,547,515
|
GDP
per capita:
$105.45 per capita
|
Capital with population:
Bujumbura - 300,000
|
Largest city with population:
Bujumbura - 300,000
|
