We take you on a discovery of the root causes of African conflicts; the attempts by continental organizations such as the Organization of African Unity to resolve these conflicts; the reasons for the inability of the OAU/AU to succeed in conflict resolution; the root causes of the Burundi Conflict; the Burundi Peace process as a reflection of how conflicts are resolved in Africa and why we think it does not lead to sustainable peace which we term "negative peace." Burundi's Negative Peace explores the largely unknown area of negative peace in Africa and specifically Burundi in the wake of the manner in which conflicts are resolved throughout the continent. The use of mediation among warring parties, the implementation of ceasefire agreements, the establishment of a transitional government and the organization of elections has been the conflict resolution trajectory that has been religiously applied in resolving African conflicts. What then is the missing link? The authors fervently believe that the above mentioned techniques do not lead to sustainable peace. In fact it leads to negative peace which is not peace at all. The peace studies' theorist, Galtung, decreed that "Peace is not the absence of violence, but peace of mind."

When the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States occurred—causing that nation to wage wars of revenge in Afghanistan and Iraq—the people of Burundi were recovering from nearly forty years of violence, genocide and civil wars that had killed nearly one million and produced another million refugees. Here in this small East African nation, one of the four poorest nations on earth, however, was a desire for reconciliation—not revenge—and it still runs deep today. The University of Ngozi in northern Burundi was created in 1999 and is now dedicated to peace, reconciliation and sustainable development. People in this region tell remarkable stories of tragedy and recovery amid these horrors. Their stories can inspire others to preserve their humanity and resist the urge to continue the violence, focusing instead on forgiveness, reconciliation and a better way forward. This volume presents case study analysis while pointing to the promise of a new kind of education that is committed to sustainable peace and development. The lessons here for the rest of the world are deep and inspiring.

Burundi has recently emerged from twelve years of devastating civil war. Its economy has been destroyed and hundreds and thousands of people have been killed. In this book, the voices of ordinary Burundians are heard for the first time. Farmers, artisans, traders, mothers, soldiers and students talk about the past and the future, war and peace, their hopes for a better life and their relationships with each other and the state. Young men, in particular, often seen as the cause of violence and war, talk about the difficulties of living up to standards of masculinity in an impoverished and war-torn society. Weaving a rich tapestry, Peter Uvin pitches the ideas and aspirations of people on the ground against the theory and assumptions often made by the international development and peace-building agencies and organisations. In doing this, he illuminates both shared goals and misunderstandings. This groundbreaking book on conflict and society in Africa will have profound repercussions for development across the world.

This book offers a detailed examination of the effectiveness of the peacekeeping operations of the African Union. Despite its growing reputation in peacekeeping and its status as the oldest continental peacekeeper, the performance of the African Union (AU) has hitherto not been assessed. This book fills that gap and analyses six case studies: Burundi, Comoros, Somalia, Mali, Darfur and the Central African Republic. From a methodological perspective it takes a problem-solving approach and utilises process tracing in its analysis, with its standard for success resting on achieving negative peace (the cessation of violence and provision of security). Theoretically, this study offers a comprehensive list of factors drawn from peace literature and field experience which influence the outcome of peacekeeping. Beyond the major issues, such as funding, international collaboration and mandate, this work also examines the impact of largely ignored factors such as force integrity and territory size. The book modifies the claim of peace literature on what matters for success and advocates the indispensability of domestic elite cooperation, local initiative and international political will. It recognises the necessity of factors such as lead state and force integrity for certain peace operations. In bringing these factors together, this study expands the peacekeeping debate on what matters for stability in conflict areas. This book will be of much interest to students of peacekeeping, African politics, war and conflict studies, and International Relations in general.

"Scores of people have been killed in politically motivated attacks in Burundi since the end of 2010. Political violence escalated in 2011 with a string of targeted assassinations and reprisals. State security forces, intelligence services, members of the ruling party, and members of opposition groups have used violence against their perceived opponents. The victims have included members and former members of political parties, their relatives, other individuals targeted because of their presumed political sympathies, demobilized rebel combatants, and men and women with no known political affiliation. The most deadly attack took place in Gatumba, in September 2011, when at least 37 people were killed in a crowded bar. But there were numerous other cases in which individuals were singled out and murdered simply because of their perceived political sympathies, or because they refused to 'change sides.' Not only did the state fail to ensure security for its citizens, but it did not fulfill its duty to take all reasonable measures to prevent and prosecute these types of crimes. Very few of the perpetrators of political killings have been brought to justice. In one of the rare cases, the Gatumba attack, where prosecutions took place relatively quickly, the trial was seriously flawed, with several defendants claiming they had been tortured. Based on extensive field research in 2011 and early 2012, this report documents patterns and cases of political killings in late 2010 and 2011 in Burundi, as well as the response of government and judicial authorities. It also describes the intimidation of journalists and civil society activists whom the government accused of siding with the opposition"--Cover, p. [4].

Can Burundi achieve its political and economic objectives without returning to genocidal violence?

The book probes major security and governance trends in Africa’s Great Lakes region since the 1990s. It examines political dynamics in key states – Burundi, the DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda – as well as the role of international actors such as the AU, the EU, and the UN, thereby providing a unique perspective on efforts towards regional peace and prosperity. The authors suggest that while the region has made tremendous progress, it faces continuing challenges (including reversals in governance) that threaten future regional security.