Hélène Michaud
17 June 2011
The head of the Dutch diplomatic mission in Burundi is planning a field trip for a first hand assessment of the state of insecurity in the east African country.
“We don’t know the real issue behind the violence. At the same time, we want to make it clear to the Burundian government and president that they should exhaust all means in efforts to prevent an escalation of the violence”.
The violence in Burundi has, since early May, claimed 85 lives, including children. Because of the lack of official information on the actual extent and cause of the killings reported by media and NGOs, the head of the Dutch diplomatic mission in Burundi, Cees Roels, intends to go on the ground. He plans a field trip to Bujumbura Rural Province, one of the hotspots.
As the main donor of programmes for the professionalization of the Burundian army and police, the Dutch government considers itself in a position to push for reforms. The Hague has committed to contribute to a complete security sector reform in Burundi over a period of eight years.
Protection of civilian populations
Cees Roels: “We are working closely with the police and the army on a new approach in addressing the issue of instability. We are also discussing lessons from the situation in Afghanistan, namely that the army must not only defeat the enemy, but also support and protect civilian populations”.
According to Roels, his discussions with the Ministers of Defence and Interior are very “open”, “critical” and “not always diplomatic” in that regard. In the Dutch opinion, development in Burundi will not be possible until and unless security is restored across the country.
The will to investigate
The Burundian government blamed the violence on armed criminals manipulated by the opposition, and has promised to restore peace within two months. Government spokesperson Philippe Nzobonariba, in response to the growing concern of the international community on allegations of extrajudicial killings by Burundian security forces, told Radio Netherlands Worldwide that the issue of impunity is being addressed.
“There are ongoing investigations. The signers of the letter might be growing impatient with the slow-coming results, but the government has the will to investigate. Many of the alleged cases have been followed up on and I can tell you that the culprits have been punished, others are still wanted,” he said.
Suspend aid
Opposition party FRODEBU (Front for Democracy in Burundi) is hoping that the Netherlands will go as far as suspending its aid, so as to force the Burundian government to initiate a political dialogue, something the opposition has been demanding in vain.
“The pressing issue today is dialogue. All parties need to come to the table and discuss important issues including security. During the dialogue, the establishment of these bodies needs to be suspended until an agreement is reached”, explains former Vice-President Frédéric Bamvuginyumvira, a prominent member of FRODEBU.
Former rebels
Could the Netherlands use this tool? Not at the moment, given the fact that its engagement is still depends on approval by the Dutch parliament. The latter is watchful, in the face of the recent important budget cuts across all sectors.
In the past, members of parliament questioned the fact that public funds were used to support a country whose security forces were guilty of extrajudicial killings. Such a view is clearly echoed by Dutch diplomats, as the Head of the Security Sector Development Programme at the Dutch mission in Burundi, Frederique Quispel, explains:
“We say it in no uncertain terms: in the Netherlands we have a parliament that decides on our activities. If it continues to receive reports of murders or corruption and the likes, the aid will stop. I personally think that it works. It is noticeable by the change of mentality within the government”.
Diplomats know that they are often dealing with former rebels who have spent seven to eight years in the jungle. They know that it takes time to create a disciplined army and police force that uphold human rights values.
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Dutch Consider Suspending Aid