Burundi, Special Re-education for Warrior's Heart : who cares?

Go, and ask every time, why Burundi is becoming expert in sending Troops in conflictual African lands. It’s not the only country to do so, though. Uganda is doing the same in Somalia. Rwanda did the same in Sudan. Can people understand Kenya fighting in Somalia? What about Tanzania doing so in East-DRC? If geopolitics, business and security matter,  humanitarian issues should matter first. Is Burundi preparing its future generation by simply sending its children to new conflict grounds? Why/how different countries are supporting the Burundi Security Institutions? The big issue is, “(...) even though you didn't kill somebody directly, you were involved in that (...): the War Deeds!

Audace Machado

Troops, Panafricanism and business illusions. Nothing else than that. I remember discussing

picture by AP

with my “friend”, late Mamadou Bah. He demonstrated to me how Burundi is benefiting by sending its troops in Somalia - by that time-: “Look, Burundian soldiers’ salary is nothing for someone who won’t stay in that career forever. Economically, at least, some of those guys need to earn a little bit much money to prepare their future.” But, the Ambassador didn’t want to argue more about any country -in such- commitment, in terms of business. Nobody would publicly talk about that ‘business’ as the elder did : “I am not the kind of man who shall argue about Burundi or any other country, renting its military resources- people and military devices or equipment, call that as you want, even the street got its denomination about that”, the Ambassador “joked”. He finished, “I knew N’krumah, Nyelele and others before you; I have more chance to discuss with Mandela or Khadafi than you do, to tell you that African conflicts are mainly to be solved by Africans.”

Is Burundi qualified for the military solution in African Conflicts? I wouldn't like to debate about

P.Buyoya in Mali

Burundi skilled people. You will find them in many international institutions, though. Some even on the top level, despite their home country’s Government still need to work for that international recognition. But, as we talk about Military solution in Africa, we first need to get back on where those “experts” are rooted.

Nobody will tell the opposite : there is no dehumanization by repeating the rape phenomenon developed by some street  children. Early 2000’s, women were raped in public streets and inside the Capital City Bujumbura. The government had failed to fight against that situation till some male who were -also victims of that-decided to ‘eradicate’, themselves, the evil. Reason of that? Who ignored that some South-African troops -since 2002- were known of sodomizing those kids? That was reported in every local media. Here is how Mandela -for example- succeeded for his mother country, but failed in Burundi (another topic).

The danger : perpetuation of war mentality by - I’d go far saying-, acquiring new ways of killing or, positively said, surviving in war time. It’s all about war. Politically, if Kenya is fighting against the Al-Shabab in Somalia, we can call that : offensive strategies. We can base on the geography and history of the Horn of Africa. Again, politically and -only- diplomatically, we can understand Burundian troops in Central Africa.

Here are examples of how culture is formatted: Through 2000’s, each Wednesday afternoon, the local cinema hall -Cinecameo- was opened only to South African and Ethiopian UN Troops in Bujumbura. Also allowed at entrance were females, prostitutes essentially. The same, I am afraid Burundian Troops in Mali watch peace-building movies. Some may not trust me, but a paysant woman -Burundian-went to see her mother-in-law to signify : “since my husband came back from Somalia, he sexually changed. He does me some shameful and strange stuffs.”

Besides, not only those Burundians who survive the war in Somalia, in Central Africa, in Ivory Coast, in Mali, etc., are facing new ways and strategies of killing, but they are also in other nature of conflict. I shouldn't be astonished if Burundi starts another war, a religious one in the future!

First outcome: communication strategies. In a french thought, like the troops' families, I mourned. One day, discussing with Late Ambassador Bah, I suggested that there should be communication strategies stating how those soldiers work and the problems, just some -for strategic reasons- dangers they pass through. I thought we can’t hide things eternally. He replied, “This small and beautiful country still need professional leaders”, he simply replied. Few day, as I was in a mission in Rwanda, I got a call from the defense ministry in Burundi. I was asked if I was interested in going in Somalia with some other journalists in an official delegation. I responded that, such a mission is highly national that it should be jointly planned and executed with media managers/editors, supposingly I was in Burundi to go with them. Since then on some occasions, some Burundi embedded  journalists go in Somalia, which is better than nothing.

Second outcome: Through my studies, Dr Petrun taught me -for example- that “there is no simple response to any problem”. In fact, we are living a complex world than few people realize. December 2013, as Major Bernard Busokoza visited Washington, DC, I reported a few about -in French- : Not only as the Burundi 1st Vice-President- in charge of political, diplomatic and security aspects- but also as instructor at the Burundi military academy, he responded that the powerful countries help Burundi in Intelligence domain. There is nothing secret in that USA, Belgium, China, France, Holland and some Arabic Countries (people see and think : is that true?), are backing the Burundian security institutions. What a diversity in such a secret field! What-as mentioned on her twitter, Dec.19th, 2013- should be/was  asked to Samantha Power as she met Burundi Troops in Central Africa?

Visit of the Secr. of Navy Ray Mabus

Third outcome : Burundi civil society has been concerned by these security aspects, which is normal. In an interview, Marguerite Barankitse suggested me :  “Those young people don’t need to everyday carry guns, seated at each corner of the street. They need to be trained for other development activities even being soldiers or police persons.” I went agree in that dream with her, without forgetting what Dr Sinamenye Mathias had told me some times ago : “Scrubland doesn’t teach to manage people or budget.We need to learn that.” In addition, I had learned from Peter Blau that rebel movements are different from army/military institutions in that way, the first fight for political power. Though Burundi still have to go, and besides economic aspects, back to its troops out in Africa or elsewhere, they need mental and trauma healing. Absolutely. That is what I called special education for those special people. Specialized centers may do better than Governmental institutions. For example, Arche Médical de Kigobe has shown its experiments in rehabilitating injured soldiers. There some other trauma healing centers in that small country that might help in that social and medical service. That healing the warrior’s heart is what I do subscribe to.