Outcomes

Possible Solutions and Outcomes

Ending the Turmoil in Burundi

The Role of the U.S.:
As the United States Government faces a crisis situation in Rwanda, it seems unlikely that they will be willing to undertake another peacekeeping mission in Burundi. Now is the crucial time for action, says a senior State Department Official, but "'The generosity of the American people often exceeds their political understanding.'" In other words, a government that was willing to pay $500 million in an attempt to save Rwanda (an obvious crisis) will not neccessarily agree to spend $10 million dollars to "stave off" a potential crisis in Burundi (which is, at this time, a lesser concern). A suggested course of action, rather than continuing economic and miliary aid, is cutting off all aid until the Burundian government agrees to certain reforms, such as the prosecution of human rights offenders and a seperate civilian police force to help decrease random violence. There have also been proposals to recruit legal assistents (judges and prosecuters) from nearby countries to assist in human rights trials. (Gillet and Forges.)

The Role of the Burundian government:
The Burundian government has been the target of massive criticism for its ineffective handling of the situation. They have accused of sending the message to the people of Burundian that "slaughter is an acceptable political strategy." A recent New York Times article suggest that "If the Government makes impartial efforts to bring murderers to justice [by prosecuting suspected criminals], extremist political leaders might be persuaded to dismantle their militias." (Gillet and Forges.) While practical in its implications, such a stance fails to take into account the devestation that the death of Cyprien Ntaryamira, former Burundian president, reaked on the governmental structure. Until the government can be reestablished more firmly, outside intervention to prevent the impending crisis appears imperative.

The Role of the United Nations:
Many human rights activists are encouraging the U.N. to place an arms embargo on Burundi until the violence is halted. They have also pointed out that the Zairean Government has been allowing Hutus to broadcast messages calling for the extermination of the Tutsi. They support sending U.N. Human Rights civilian observers into Burundi to moniter such activities (Gillet and Forges).

The Refugee Situation:
As countries all over the world face millions of refugees flooding their borders, policy makers are confronted with a serious problem: how to keep displaced people closer to their home countries before their numbers create a international burden. Experts on repatriation insist that refugees must be integrated into surrounding societies in order to prevent isolation, but the countries which host millions of fleeing refugees want to place them in camps to offset the social and economic imbalances that mass emmigration presents. A suggested solution is to create "safe havens": areas in which the U.N. offers protection and assistence to refugees to lessen the burden on individual countries (Darnton).