Background

Although Burundi has experienced conflict since 1972, the latest violence started in 1993 with the coup and assassination of Melchior Ndadaye, the first democratically elected president. This unleashed ethnic massacres between Hutus and Tutsis. An estimated 300,000 people were killed.

A transitional, representative government of national unity was established in November 2001, headed by Tutsi President Pierre Buyoya. In April 30, 2003, Buyoya transferred power to his Hutu Vice-president Domitien Ndayizeye. In 2005, former Hutu rebel group members won parliamentary elections and appointed their leader, Pierre Nkurunziza, as President.

National Program

Name:

Programme National de Démobilisation, Réinsertion et Réintégration

Implementing Agency:

Executive Secretariat of the Commission Nationale de Démobilisation, Réinsertion et Réintégration

Financing:

$76 million (World Bank IDA grant: $34.2 million | Multi-Donor Trust Fund: $41.8 million)

Status:

Closed December 31, 2008

The program aimed to:

• Demobilize an estimated 55,000 combatants of the Burundian Armed Forces, Armed Political Parties and Movements (APPMs), and the National Defense Force, and support their reintegration into civilian life.

• Support the reinsertion of an estimated 20,000 Gardiens de la Paix and 10,000 combattants militants of APPMs.
• Facilitate the reallocation of Government budget resources from the defense to social and economic sectors over five years.
  

Final Progress Table:

Final Progress Update:

• 23,022 adults were demobilized, of which, all of whom received reinsertion support.
• 18,709 Gardiens de la Paix and 9,674 militants combattants received one-time reinsertion payments.
• 21,966 beneficiaries received reintegration support.
• 3,261 children were released from armed groups, all of whom were reunited with family or placed in alternative care arrangements, 3,017 of whom received reinsertion, and 2,590 reintegration support.
• 1,195 handicapped ex-combatants received socio-economic reintegration support.

Special Projects

Project:

Special Project to Support the Demobilization, Reintegration and Recruitment Prevention of Child Ex-Combatants

Administrator:

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

$3.5 million

Completed, June 2006

Objective:

An evaluation of the Project is available under the country document section below.

Country Documents

The following documents will help you better understand the country and its context.

Program Documentation:

Other Documents:

The Social and Economic Status of Beneficiaries of the Burundi Child Soldier Demobilization, Social Reintegration and Recruitment Prevention Special Project
MDRP Dissemination Note No. 1 — September - October 2007
English (PDF 456 KB)

Ex-combatants in Burundi: Why they joined, why they left, how they fared
Working Paper No.3 - October 2007
English (PDF 742 KB)

Beneficiary assessment of the social and economic status of the "child soldier" special project beneficiaries in Burundi - June 2006 (PDF 932 KB)

Report of the Independent Review of the Special Project for Child Soldier Demobilization, Social Reintegration and Recruitment Prevention in Burundi - October 2005 (PDF 382 KB)

MDRP Briefing Note: Lessons Learned from the Muyange Cantonment Experience (Burundi) - November 2003 (PDF 70.7 KB)

Note de synthèse du MDRP: Enseignements tirés de l'expérience du cantonnement de Muyange (Burundi) - Novembre 2003 (72.7 KB)

UN map of Burundi

News:

	N&N - July 19, 2008 Succeeding in Economic Reintegration: a Burundian Ex-Combatant Story (Eng-PDF 115KB) (Fr-PDF 116KB)
	N&N - April 8, 2008 A Day-long Exchange of Experiences and Lessons Learned Among Implementing Partners in Burundi (Eng-PDF 159KB) (Fr-PDF 164KB)
	Article - World Bank's Africa home page - March 4, 2008 Supporting Peacebuilding in Central Africa
	N&N - January 28, 2008 Association of Demobilized Women Ex-combatants Improves Community Reintegration (Eng-PDF 145KB) (Fr-PDF 146KB)
	Press Release - Bujumbura Burundi - October 24, 2007 Mission conjointe des partenaires du programme muli-pays de demobilisation et reintegration (MDRP) des ex-combattants au Burundi du 24 au 26 Octobre, 2007 (in French) (Fn-PDF 87KB)
	N&N - October 14, 2007 MDRP publishes Working Paper on youth and DDR in Burundi (Eng-PDF 98KB) (Fr-PDF 90KB)
	N&N - May 26, 2007 I chose a profession! (Eng-PDF 328KB) (Fr-PDF 329KB)
	N&N - March 12, 2007 President Wolfowitz meets with Ex-combatants in Burundi and DRC (Eng-PDF 276KB) (Fr-PDF 227KB)
	N&N - January 21, 2007 MDRP hosts event about youth and DDR in Burundi (Eng-PDF 119KB) (Fr-PDF 126KB)
	N&N - August 10, 2006 Interview with Dingamadji Madjior Solness: MDRP Senior DDR Specialist in Burundi (Eng-PDF 207KB) (Fr-PDF 242KB)
	N&N - February 7, 2006 A New Beginning for Burundi’s Emergency Demobilization, Reinsertion and Reintegration Project in 2006 (Eng-PDF 201 KB) (Fr-PDF 154 KB)
	Press release December 2, 2004
	Press release December 7, 2004
	Press release December 10, 2004
	MDRP press release (English) MDRP press release (Francais)

Contacts

World Bank

Government Agency

Mr. Jéroboam Nzikobanyanka
S ecrétaire Exécutif
Na tional Commission for Demobilization, Reinsertion and Reintegration (CNDRR)
Email: [email protected]

Agnès Inamahoro
Communications
National Commission for Demobilization, Reinsertion and Reintegration (CNDRR)
Email: [email protected]

Relevant Links

These links will help you better understand the country and its context.

Amnesty International: Burundi

Human Rights Watch: Burundi

Institute for Security Studies: Burundi

International Crisis Group: Burundi

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): Burundi

ReliefWeb: Burundi

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): Burundi

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF): Burundi

World Bank Burundi

Website links provided on this website are for informational purposes only. Their inclusion does not imply MDRP endorsement of or responsibility for the information included therein.