Burundi Passport

[Country name] The Republic of Burundi, La R é publish du Burundi.

【 Area 】 27834 square kilometers.

Population: 12.9 million (2023). Composed of three ethnic groups: Hutu (84%), Tutsi (15%), and Twa (1%). The official languages are Kirundi and French, the national language is Kirundi, and some residents speak Swahili. 61% of residents believe in Catholicism, 24% believe in Protestantism, 2.5% believe in Islam, 3.2% believe in primitive religions, and the rest believe in other religions or are not religious.

The political capital Gitega has a population of approximately 230000. The economic capital of Burundi has a population of approximately 1.28 million.

President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE was elected on June 18, 2020. Vice President Prosper Bazombanza and Prime Minister Gervais NDIRAKOBUCA.

[Important holiday] July 1st National Day (Independence Day).

【 Overview 】 Located on the south side of the equator in central eastern Africa. inland country. It borders Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, and Lake Tanganyika to the southwest. The western lakeside and river valley, as well as the eastern part, have a tropical grassland climate; The central and western regions have a tropical mountainous climate. The annual average temperature is 20-24 ℃, with a maximum of 33 ℃. February to May is the heavy rainy season, September to November is the light rainy season, and other months are the dry season.

Feudal kingdoms were established before the 17th century. In 1890, it became part of German East Africa. In 1922, it became a Belgian mandate. In 1946, the United Nations handed over Burundi to Belgium for "trusteeship". On July 1, 1962, independence was declared and the Kingdom of Burundi was established. On November 28, 1966, Michel Micombero launched a coup to establish the Republic of Burundi. On November 1, 1976, Jean Baptiste BAGAZA launched a coup to establish the Second Republic of Burundi. On September 3, 1987, Pierre BUYOYA took office as president in a coup d 'é tat and established the Third Republic. In 1992, a multi-party system was implemented. In June 1993, multi-party presidential and legislative elections were held in Bougainville. Melchior NDADAYE, chairman of Burundi Democratic Front (FDN), the largest Hutu party, was elected president, and FDN obtained an absolute majority in parliament. In October, a military coup occurred in Bu, and President Ndadaye was killed. The coup triggered a large-scale ethnic bloodshed conflict. In January 1994, the National Assembly elected Cyprien NTARYAMIRA, a member of the Democratic Front, as president. On April 6th, Entaria Mira died in a plane crash. In September, the Democratic Front reached a power distribution "government contract" with opposition parties such as the former ruling party and the Tutsi political party, the United Party for National Progress (also known as the "Uplona Party", abbreviated as the "U Party"). The National Assembly elected Democratic Front member Sylvestre NTIBANTUNYANYA as president. On July 25, 1996, the Tutsi controlled military staged a coup, deposing Ntibantungania and electing former president Buyoya as president. In August 2000, under the mediation of the international community and neighboring countries, the Burundi government signed the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement with various political factions. On November 1, 2001, the transitional government of Burundi was established, with Buyoya serving as the president for the first 18 months of the transitional period, and Domitien NDAYIZEYE, the former Secretary General of the Democratic Front and Hutu, serving as the vice president. On April 30, 2003, according to the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement, a smooth handover of power was carried out, with Ndayizeye taking over as president and Alphonse Marie KADEGE, a Tutsi, serving as vice president. The transition period in Burundi entered its second phase smoothly. In November, the government of Burundi and the largest anti-government armed group, the Forces for the Defense of Democracy (FDD), signed a package of peace agreements, and FDD joined the transitional government, making significant progress in the Burundi peace process.

From June to August 2005, local, legislative, and presidential elections were successfully held in Burkina Faso. FDD won 63%, 55%, and 88% of the seats in local, national assembly, and Senate elections, respectively, becoming the ruling party. Its leader Pierre Nkurunziza was elected as the only candidate for president on August 26th and subsequently formed a new government. On September 7, 2006, the government of Burundi signed a comprehensive ceasefire agreement with the last anti-government armed group in the country, the National Liberation Front (FNL). Subsequently, the two sides engaged in multiple exchanges of fire due to the deadlock in negotiations regarding the implementation of the agreement, and signed multiple ceasefire or peace agreements under the mediation of the international community. In April 2009, the National Liberation Front officially announced the abandonment of military struggle. On June 28, 2010, the presidential election was held in Burkina Faso. The opposition party accused the government and ruling party of cheating and refusing to participate in the previous local elections. Nkurunziza, as the only candidate, won the election with 91.62% of the vote. At the beginning of 2015, there were serious differences among the various parties in the country due to the election issue, and the domestic situation became tense, leading to an attempted military coup in May. On July 21st, the presidential election was held in Bu, and Nkurunziza won re-election with 69.41% of the vote. In May 2018, Bu held a referendum and passed the constitutional amendment draft with a high number of votes. On May 20, 2020, the presidential election was held, and the ruling party candidate and General Secretary Ndayszmeyer won with an absolute advantage. He was sworn in on June 18. On June 8, 2020, Nkurunziza passed away due to illness.

On March 18, 2005, the Constitution of the Post Transitional Period was promulgated and implemented. The Constitution stipulates the implementation of a multi-party system. The Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups account for no more than 60% and 40% respectively in the government and the National Assembly, and each holds 50% in the Senate. Government members are appointed by the President after consulting with the Vice President and are composed of representatives from different political parties, who are accountable to the President. The national defense and security forces are subordinate to the civil power organs of the state, composed of professional personnel, and do not participate in any political party. The proportion of any ethnic group in the national defense forces shall not exceed 50%. In May 2018, Bu held a constitutional amendment referendum and passed a new constitution with a high support rate of 73.26%. The main contents include: extending the presidential term from 5 years to 7 years, with the option to be re elected once; The political system has changed from a presidential system to a semi presidential and semi parliamentary system; Change the two vice presidents to one vice president and one prime minister, both appointed by the president.

A bicameral system consisting of the National Assembly and the Senate. The current National Assembly and Senate were established in August 2020. The National Assembly has a total of 123 seats, with Speaker Gelase Daniel NDABILABE, First Deputy Speaker Sabine NTAKARUTIMANA (female), and Second Deputy Speaker Abel GASHATSI. There are a total of 39 senators, with Emmanuel SINZOHAGERA as Senate President, Spr è s Caritas NJEBARIKANUYE as First Deputy Senate President, and Cyriake NSHIMIRIMANA as Second Deputy Senate President.

The current government was established in June 2020 and reorganized in September 2022, consisting of the Prime Minister and 15 ministers. The list is as follows: President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE; Vice President Prosper Bazombanza and Prime Minister Gervais NDIRAKOBUCA; Martin NITERETSE, Minister of Interior, Municipal Development and Public Safety; Minister of Defense and Veterans, Alain Tribert MUTABAZI; Minister of Justice Domine BANYANKIMBONA; Albert SHINGIRO, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation; Audace NIYONZIMA, Minister of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning; Fran ç ois HAVYARIMANA, Minister of National Education and Research; Liduine Baradahana, Minister of Public Health and AIDS Prevention and Control; Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Prosper Dodiko; Dieudonn é DUKUNDANE, Minister of Infrastructure, Equipment and Social Housing; Venuste Muyabaga, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Employment; Abraham UWIZEYE, Minister of Water Resources, Energy and Mines; Marie Chantal Nijimbere, Minister of Commerce, Transport, Industry and Tourism; Gervais Abayeho, Minister of Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture of the Eastern Community; Imelde Sabushimike, Minister of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender Equality; Minister of Communications, Information Technology and Media, L é ocadie Ndacayisaba (female).

[Administrative divisions] The country is divided into one municipality directly under the central government (Mairie) and 17 provinces, with the following names of provinces: Bubanza, Mairie Rural, Bururi, Kankuzo, Sibitokai, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi, Rumongai, and Mwaro. In July 2022, the government of Burundi announced the reorganization of local administrative units, with the country divided into 5 provinces and 42 districts. The provinces are named Buhumuza, Burundi, Burundi, and Kitega. In December of the same year, the National Assembly voted to approve the new district planning plan, which was scheduled to be officially implemented in 2025.

Judicial power is independent of legislative and administrative power, and is exercised by courts and tribunals at all levels in accordance with the law. The main judicial institutions include the Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, Special Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Audit Court, Commercial Court, Labor Court, Provincial Court, as well as the General Prosecutor's Office, Local Prosecutor's Office, etc. The members of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court are appointed by the President. The current President of the Supreme Court, Emmanuel GATERITSE, the President of the Constitutional Court, Valentin Bagorikunda, and the Attorney General, Sylvestre NYANDWI.

According to the Constitution and the New Political Party Law promulgated in September 2011, a multi-party system is implemented, and political parties are registered with the Ministry of the Interior in accordance with the law. As of now, there are over 30 legal political parties.

(1) Comit é National pour la D é fense de la D é mocratie Forces pour la D é fense de la D é mocratie, CNDD-FDD）， The ruling party is dominated by the Hutu ethnic group. Formerly the largest anti-government armed force in Burundi, it split from the Democratic Front in 1994. Subsequently, there were two internal divisions, dividing into the mainstream faction of CNDD-FDD and two minority factions. The mainstream faction is led by Nkurunziza, while the minority factions are led by L é onard NYANGOMA and Jean Bosco NDAYIKENGURUKIYE. The latter two factions have weak power and limited impact. In November 2003, a ceasefire agreement was reached with the transitional government of Burundi. In September 2004, it officially became a legitimate political party and won various elections in 2005, becoming the ruling party. In February 2007, FDD held a special party congress, which decided that the highest authority within the party would be the Committee of Wise Men, and elected President Nkurunziza as the chairman of the committee, with former General Secretary Manass é NZOBONIMPA serving as the committee secretary; The meeting also elected J é r é mie NGENDAKUMANA as the new chairman of the party. In March 2012, the Forces for the Defense of Democracy held its second National Congress and elected Pascal NYABENDA as Chairman, Victor BURIKUKIYE as First Vice Chairman, and Joseph NTAKARUTIMANA as Second Vice Chairman. In August 2016, the Forces for the Defense of Democracy held a special party congress to reorganize the party's internal institutions and elected a five member committee of wise men, with President Nkurunziza serving as the chairman and lifelong member of the committee. In January 2021, the Forces for the Defense of Democracy held a special party congress and elected R é verien Ndikuriyo as the new General Secretary. After the 2020 general election, the party held 86 seats in the National Assembly and 34 seats in the Senate.

(2) Congr è s National pour la Libert é: the largest opposition party, was founded in February 2019 on the basis of the "Hope of the People of Burundi" coalition. Agathon Rwasa, the former chairman of the National Liberation Forces Party, received 24.19% of the vote in the 2020 presidential election, ranking second. After the 2020 general election, the party held 32 seats in the National Assembly and 1 seat in the Senate.

(3) Union pour le Progr è s National, UPRONA）： The Ukrainian Party, also known as the Uyghur Party, was established in January 1959 and is the largest political party of the Tutsi ethnic group. Bu has been in power for a long time after independence. After the failure of the multi-party elections in June 1993, the ruling party lost its status. After Buyoya regained power in 1996, there were divisions within the party. In November 2001, the transitional government of Burundi was established, and Buyoya served as the president for the first 18 months of the transitional period. After the 2005 general election, the Ukrainian Party became the third largest party. In the 2010 National Assembly and Senate elections, the Ukrainian Party became the second largest party. In August 2016, the Ukrainian Party held a national party congress to elect a new leadership team, with Abel GASHATSI serving as the party chairman. After the 2020 general election, the party held 2 seats in the National Assembly and 1 seat in the Senate.

(4) Front pour la d é mocratie au Burundi FRODEBU for short, one of the main Hutu political parties, was established in 1986. The goal of the Party is to establish a truly sovereign state that respects, defends, and promotes the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals. In 1993, the Democratic Front won the presidential and legislative elections, with party chairman Ndadaye elected president and the Democratic Front becoming the ruling party. In October, En was assassinated. In 1994, the party split due to differences in political views. After the establishment of the transitional government on November 1, 2001, Ndayizeye, former General Secretary of the Democratic Front, was appointed as Vice President, and Minani, Chairman of the Democratic Front, was appointed as Speaker of the National Assembly. After the failure of the 2005 legislative elections, Minani was dismissed from his position as chairman, and former General Secretary L é once NGENDAKUMANA was elected as chairman, while Euphrasie BIMIRMANA was elected as General Secretary. In March 2006, he announced his withdrawal from the government and became an opposition party.

(5) Compliance with the Arusha Agreement and the National Committee for the Reconstruction of the Rule of Law (Conseil National pour la Restauration de l'Accord d'Arusha pour la paix et la R é conciliation au Burundi), de la Constitution de 2005 et de l'Etat de Droit，CNARED）： The opposition alliance. In August 2015, the CNDD Nyongma faction, which had split from the Democratic Front, formed CNARED in Addis Ababa with members of the Democratic Front (FORDEBU), the True Democratic Front (FORDEBU Nyakuri), the Union for Peace and Development (UPD), and the ruling party Forces for the Defense of Democracy, as well as representatives of civil society. They demanded the establishment of a transitional government and the reorganization of elections. The United Nations, the African Union, the Eastern Community, and the United States and the West have all demanded that the government of Burundi engage in inclusive dialogue with the opposition, represented by CNARED, to resolve the crisis peacefully through negotiation. However, the Burundi authorities have refused to allow CNARED to participate in the dialogue on the grounds that CNARED contains planners of domestic violence in Burundi. Some core leaders of CNARED have gradually returned from exile around 2020, but the relationship between the government and the ruling party CNDD-FDD and the opposition alliance remains tense. In July 2024, the party's executive secretary issued a statement demanding that President Ndayshmi take responsibility for the domestic socio-economic crisis and resign from office.

Other political parties include: the Civil Rights Movement (MRC), the Shield Party (MSP INKINZO), the Hutu People's Liberation Party (PALIPEHUTU), the People's Reconciliation Party (PRP), the People's Party (PP), the Collective Movement for Democracy and Economic and Social Development (RADDES), the People's League of Burundi (RPB), the National Alliance for Rights and Development (ANADEDES), the Liberal Party (PL), the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the Workers' Independence Party (PIT), the Bufa Salvation Alliance (ABASA), the National Rejuvenation Party (PARENA), the Visionary Alliance (INTWARI), and Burundi for Democracy and Reconciliation Party (PDR), Burundi Alliance for Development Freedom (ALIDE), Burundi New Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADEBU), Burundi Alliance for Peace and Development (UPD), etc.

【 Important Person 】 Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE, born in 1968 in the province of Gitega, of Hutu ethnicity. In 1991, he was admitted to the Faculty of Law at the University of Burundi. Joined the anti-government armed forces for the defense of democracy in 1995, and was appointed as the Deputy Chief of General Staff responsible for logistics in the Burundi Defense Forces in 2004. Afterwards, En successively served as the Director of the Military Affairs Office of the Presidential Office, Director of the Civilian Affairs Office, Minister of the Interior and Public Security, and other powerful positions. In 2016, he became the General Secretary of the ruling party in Burkina Faso and was elected as the President on June 18, 2020.

In an agricultural and pastoral country, agriculture is the mainstay of the economy. Since the 1990s, Burundi has witnessed frequent wars and turbulent situation. After the July 1996 coup, it suffered from 30 months of economic sanctions, and Western aid was basically stagnant. Coupled with the refugee problem and climate factors, the economic situation deteriorated severely, and the gross domestic product decreased by 22-25% compared to before the war. After reaching a peace agreement with various political factions in 2000, international aid gradually resumed and the economic situation improved. In January 2009, Burundi reached the completion point of the heavily indebted poor countries' debt reduction initiative and received $1.4 billion in debt relief. In February 2012, the "Second Generation Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Framework" document was released. In October, the government of Burkina Faso held the "Burkina Faso Development Cooperation Partners Conference" in Geneva, and the participating parties pledged to provide $2.6 billion in funding. In August 2018, the "National Development Plan (2018-2027)" was issued, aiming to provide direction for the economic and social development of Burkina Faso in the next 10 years, and strive to achieve an economic growth of 10.7% by 2027. Since the beginning of 2015, due to the tense domestic situation and a significant reduction in foreign aid, the economic situation in Burundi has deteriorated sharply. The estimated main economic indicators for 2022 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 3.6 billion US dollars.

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 285.7 US dollars.

Economic growth rate: 3.3%.

Currency name: Burundi Franc (short for Brown).

Exchange rate: 1 USD ≈ 2874 BRL.

Inflation rate: 18.3%.

(Information)

【 Resources 】 Mineral deposits mainly include nickel, peat, cerium, vanadium, tin, gold, kaolin, etc. The nickel ore reserves are 261 million tons, with a grade of 1.5%. Peat reserves are approximately 500 million tons. Phosphate reserves are 30.5 million tons, with a grade of 11.1-12.6%. Vanadium reserves are 16 million tons. Limestone reserves of 2 million tons. Gold mines are widely distributed, with large reserves in the northwest, and were mined in the 1930s. The forest coverage rate is 10.9%.

The industrial foundation is weak. The number of employees accounts for 2% of the labor force. In 2022, the industrial output value accounted for approximately 10.64% of the gross domestic product, mainly including agricultural product processing, chemical industry, textile, tobacco and alcohol, and power generation, all of which are small and medium-sized enterprises. The beer industry is the industry with the highest production and best efficiency.

About 90% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. The cultivated land area is 8851 square kilometers, accounting for 31.8% of the national land area, of which the irrigated area is about 200 square kilometers. The agricultural output value will account for approximately 27.6% of the gross domestic product in 2022. The grain planting area accounts for 90% of the cultivated land area, mainly including corn, rice, beans, potatoes, bananas, etc. In recent years, the annual grain production has exceeded 1.2 million tons. Economic crops account for 10% of arable land, mainly including coffee, tea, cotton, etc. Animal husbandry used to be relatively developed, but now it is declining year by year. The natural pasture covers 7277 square kilometers, accounting for 28.2% of the country's total area, and the gross domestic product of animal husbandry accounts for 5% of the country's gross domestic product.

In recent years, the service industry has developed rapidly, with its output value accounting for approximately 45.37% of the gross domestic product in 2022.

There is no railway for transportation.

Highways: The total length of various types of highways is 13600 kilometers. The economic capital of Burundi is a transportation hub. The main land transportation route runs from Burundi to the north, passing through Rwanda and Uganda to the port of Mombasa in Kenya, with a total length of 2025 kilometers.

Water transportation: The main waterway is Lake Tanganyika, with a total length of 175 kilometers. The main route runs from Lake Tanganyika to Kigoma Port in Tanzania, and then transfers to the railway to reach Dar es Salaam Port, with a total length of 1428 kilometers. The main port is the Port of Burundi, with a 500 meter long dock that can accommodate 5 cargo ships at the same time.

Air transportation: Bujumbura International Airport can take off and land Boeing 747 and other large passenger aircraft, which are managed by the National Aviation Administration of Burundi (RSA). From 2012 to 2014, the number of inbound and outbound passengers at Bujumbura Airport was stable at about 250000 per year. Belgian Airlines has launched direct flights from Burundi to Brussels. Bu National Airlines also operates routes to Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Africa.

One of the countries with the lowest telephone coverage in the world. The National Telecommunications Administration is the only fixed line telephone operator in Burkina Faso, with a total of 18300 fixed line users nationwide (as of 2021). There are mobile phone operators such as U-Com, Africell, Econet, Lacel, and Lumitel nationwide, with 7.76 million users. The Internet penetration rate is about 13.3%, and network operators such as U-Com, Usan Bu and Cbinet provide network support. The Bujumbura MAN project in Burundi started operation in early 2015. The submarine cable connecting Mombasa in Kenya and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania can provide broadband network services to consumers.

Fiscal revenue mainly relies on various taxes and loans and grants from foreign and international organizations. In recent years, due to elections and national reconstruction, the government budget has increased. The fiscal revenue for 2020-2021 was 1.14 trillion francs.

The main banks are the Bank of the Republic of Burundi, which was established in 1964 as the central bank to set official exchange rates under the guidance of the government. The three largest commercial banks are Bujumbura Credit Bank, Burundi Commercial Bank and Mutual Bank.

The main export products include coffee, tea, etc., while the main imported products are industrial products and fuels. The main export destinations in 2022 are the United Arab Emirates, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Switzerland, and Pakistan, while the main import sources are China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, India, and Tanzania. Foreign trade has been in deficit for years. The import and export trade situation in recent years is as follows (in millions of US dollars):