The conflicts between Hutu and Tutsi which led to the Rwandan genocide of 1994 are reasonably well known in the West, but the similar conflicts which have occurred in Rwanda’s neighbouring country Burundi are not as well known. In the first 30 years after Burundi gained independence in 1962, around 250,000 people were killed in inter-ethnic conflicts, and a further 300,000 people were killed in a period of violence starting the year before the Rwandan genocide.
The country has now been at peace for most of the past decade, and elections are due to be held this month. President Nkurunziza, who is standing for re-election, has been president for five years. During the civil war, he was a leader of the Forces for the Defence of Democracy, the largest rebel group, which subsequently transformed itself into the CNDD-FDD political party. Before becoming involved in the war, he was a university lecturer.
President Nkurunziza is a pentecostal born-again Christian, and he is known for his preaching and his exuberant worship style, which includes dancing, jumping and rolling on the ground kicking the air during worship songs. He leads a number of ex-rebels in a choir called Komeza Gusenga, which means “Keep on praying”. His wife Denise is also a noted preacher. CNDD-FDD is currently expected to win the elections.