Wednesday, December 31, 2008
How to use this blog
Keep coming back!
New items will be posted as often as I can, so keep coming back to see what’s new. Press Ctrl+D to add this page to your Internet Explorer favourites/ Firefox bookmarks. If you use IE7 or Mozilla Firefox, you can add this site as a Live Bookmark.
Planned posts
Still to come.... What’s Burundi like? What’s it like on a refugee camp? How you can help…
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
High-speed internet boost for Burundi
Burundi has been left behind in the internet world. Internet connection is prohibitively expensive for universities and businesses let alone individuals. Wireless broadband is available, but only at 256kbps, is expensive, and is dependent upon satellite link to connect to the rest of the world; no fibre optic cables here.
A loan of £30m is going to help, but probably won't be enough.
Just a minute, the 1st world lending money to 3rd world countries for technology most people don't use, need or even know about?! Haven't we been here before in the 1970's?! At least Bob Geldof will still have a cause to sing about before he retires....
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Burundi rebels finally agree to ceasefire deal
By DANIEL K. KALINAKI
The EastAfrican
Burundi’s last major rebel group, the PALIPEHUTU-FNL last week agreed to the terms of a ceasefire deal with Pierre Nkurunziza’s government
We've read this all before, maybe this time it will work...
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Blue Helmets Prepare to Leave Burundi
With the United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB) ending its mandate on 31 December, officials from the world body today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2006/pko157.doc.htm">pledged continued support to the country as it seeks to consolidate peace.
Since the mission was first deployed in 2004, the Central African country has held its first democratic elections in 12 years, installed a new national Government, and disarmed and demobilized nearly 22,000 combatants.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Burundi drummers
Burundi photos
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Soccer - Burundi stun Zambia in Challenge Cup
over Zambia.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Obstacles to East African Integration
Burundi refugees resettled in USA?
There has been talk of USA receiving 10,000 refugees from the refugee camps in Tanzania. Whilst this sounds like a good idea there are problems, which are well expressed in this article from a US local newspaper. Their concerns include:
• Language problems: Burundians don't speak English,
• Employment: Would Macon be able to provide jobs for refugees whose skills are in farming?
• Health problems: How could Burundians' health issues, particularly AIDS, best be addressed?
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Monday, May 08, 2006
Burundi sued over photo on 10,000 franc note
afrol News - Burundi sued over photo on 10,000 franc note
The back of Burundi's 10,000 franc note is highly symbolic, depicting schoolboys as the country's learning future. The text below, in unusually large letters, informs that "counterfeiters are punished by the penal law." Now, it seems, the Central Bank of Burundi itself may be punishable over copyright infringements, using a photograph by Kelly Fajack of Burundian schoolboys without his approval.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
BBC In pictures | Seeking asylum in Burundi
The other side of the story - refugees from Rwanda living in UNHCR camps in Burundi.
IMC - Impressions of Burundi
IMC International Recrutier, Taja McKinney, recently visited nternational Medical Corps (IMC) programs in Kenya and Burundi. She shares her experiences here.
This is not the Africa in travel brochures with safaris and delicious wine. This is the Africa where heavy loads are carried on undernourished heads, babies on backs and rifles in the hands of teenage boys. Here in the torrential rain, barefoot children hide under banana leaves. The soil runs deep red as if the blood of the hundreds of thousands of people who have died here from civil war and starvation have drenched the earth of this small nation to its core.
Rutana
IMC is initiating health programs in Rutana for some of the most marginalized people in the country. In one community we visited, almost 70 people were living in small shelters in southern Burundi. To step into their world is like stepping back thousands of years in time. These communities do not even have mud shacks to live in, but build basic round huts made out of straw. The men hunt small game in the nearby brush and the women must trek more than six miles to find clay to make basic pots that they sell for 20 cents.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Famine in Burundi
Burundian citizens must donate to the fund during a period of four months, beginning in March.
Civil servants earning more than 100,000 Burundian francs (US $100) will contribute 2 percent of their pay. Burundian families in provinces not affected by famine will also make a one-time contribution of 100 francs each to the fund.
Thousands of people have fled to neighbouring Rwanda and Tanzania, and the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has reported a drop in repatriations to Burundi in recent weeks due to the prevailing drought.
Reuters AlertNet - BURUNDI: Government sets up food security fund
Monday, January 30, 2006
Monday, December 26, 2005
Fighting in Bujumbura province leaves 8 dead - AngolaPress
Manirakiza said government soldiers shot the six rebels as they attempted to loot properties belonging to civilians in Kajeke, a remote area in Bubanza province northwest of Bujumbura.
He told journalists on Sunday that government troops captured two rebels and seized two rifles from them, as one loyalist soldier got killed in the fighting.
Meanwhile, an unidentified-armed group caused havoc Saturday night in nearby Cibitoke province where they attacked several families in Nyamitanga village.
Government forces quickly moved in and killed one of the assailants, but the remaining members of the gang fled with 12 goats, two motorcycles and unspecified amount of cash, the Burundi army spokesman said.
But he noted that no major incident occurred on Christmas eve in the Burundi capital, where security had been reinforced in anticipation of any rebel attack.
Out of the seven Hutu rebel groups that were active in Burundi, the FNL is the only faction still defiantly fighting around Bujumbura.
http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=402745
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Congo Earthquake
BBC news reported on the earthquake in DR Congo near Lake Tanganyika and the Tanzanian border on Monday 5 December, but no further news or updates have been added. The shocks were felt in Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda, and by the Indian Ocean. Hundreds fled in panic from offices in Nairobi, 1000Km from the epicentre. The quake hit with a 6.8 magnitude at 1219GMT, the US Geological Survey said. East Africa's Great Rift Valley runs along a geological fault line, but has largely escaped major quakes in recent years. The epicentre is about 90 miles from Kigoma where we briefly spent some time on our way to a refugee camp. BBC aricle is:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4499938.stm We understand that the Rema guys in Bujumbura, Burundi are OK and have not been personally affected by it, but there have been some fatalities. In DR Congo, eyewitness reports from Kalimie say it has been “an incredibly difficult and frightening time” for the people of Kalemie, the town nearest the epicentre. CMS are reporting that over 300 hundred houses fell down. Six people died. There was a strong wind off Lake Tanganyika causing major damage to houses; some collapsed, roofs come off. Many people are now homeless.
You could ask why there has been so little coverage of this event in the media, there are probably two main reasons; western media know that there will be little interest from the public - not many of us have friends, relations or business interests there. Also, there is little infrastructure so news will only get out slowly. it is interesting that this is still the case despite ubiquitous mobile phones, internet access in even the remotest of places. By the time movies and eyewitness reports reach the mainstream media, the news has moved on and lost interest.
Deepa Verma Jivram at the Sunday Monitor in Uganda has an interesting article looking at earthquakes in the region. http://www.monitor.co.ug/sunday/oped/oped12115.php
Thursday, December 01, 2005
BURUNDI: New debt relief from African Development Bank
"Burundi qualified for [the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries] HIPC debt relief after having demonstrated good progress in stabilising its economy and continuously implementing sound policies for macroeconomic and financial stability, growth and poverty reduction."
The ADB and ADF boards said although Burundi still faced a fragile political and socioeconomic situation, the country had made significant progress in stabilising the economy, implementing financial and structural reforms and initiating the restoration of social services.
In August Burundi became the 28th country to qualify for the World Bank and International Monetary Fund's enhanced HIPC initiative.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/0be264f347fd35f3c45d0c0b3260c54b.htm
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
BBC NEWS | Africa | Burundi's born-again ex-rebel leader
Sorry, this site has been a bit neglected - 300 hits?! who are you all?!
Anyway, I shall be making more effort to keep this up to date with developments in Burundi. Of which there have been many since we were at the refugee camps.
Main change has been the new president, Pierre Nkurunziza, who has been making a few pronouncements such as 'free primary education', 'no to government Toyota Landcruisers'.
However he does have an enourmous job to do.
Reuters AlertNet - IN FOCUS: Hope and fear as Burundi's exiles come home
She was speaking at a U.N.-run transit camp in Mugano in Burundi’s northeastern Muyinga province, after registering for an identity card that will guarantee her family a three-month “starter kit” containing food, pots and pans, plastic sheeting and other supplies to help them resettle.
“I hope we’ll be able to grow something to eat,” Cezarie said. “I don’t know if my old house will still be there or not.”
It is of course good news that so many refugees now feel that they are able to return to Burundi, but it will be a big challenge for the country to peacefully repatriate the returnees.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
So, why aren’t we going to Burundi?
Kirundi word for the day is NI NEZA– which means 'it is good' in answer to 'BITE'/ 'how are you?'.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Africa Lives on the BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/africalives/
What’s Burundi like?
Kirundi word for the day is BGAKEYE - Good Morning (the day breaks).
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Injections
Had the last of my injections yesterday, that's 10 in total, plus malaria tablets, total cost £198. That’s half the airfare! Now on first name terms with the practice nurse, and I need ideas for exotic trips for next year – got to get my money’s worth out of all these jabs.
Kirundi word for the day is BITE – which means HOW ARE THINGS?
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
UN assisted refugees in Tanzania
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA) reported in 31 Oct 2004 the numbers of refugees in Tanzania along the Burundi border as approx. 250,000 Burundians, plus more from DRC and Rwanda. We will be visiting one of the camps in Kigoma region. We'll also visit a camp in Tabora region, but that hasn't been included in these figures.
Monday, May 16, 2005
BBC NEWS Last rebels make peace in Burundi
Sunday, May 15, 2005
CMS News - Desperation of forgotten refugees
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories
The Afriprov.org site is a collection from across the continent, including some from Burundi. They are planning to publish a book of Burundi/ Kirundi proverbs but it's still in development.
African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Monday, May 02, 2005
The Start
REMA is a Burundian (Kirundi) word that means to comfort, console, affirm, strenghen. The organisation consists of about 6 Burundians who work with Burundian refugees. There are about 500,000 refugees from Burundi living in Kenya and Tanzania, most are in refugee camps, some are recognised by the UN, some are not.
A team of us will be going out to visit some of the projects and the refugee camps in June and July 2005.
I'll add more information about Burundi, the language, history, the problems, and an idea about what we'll be doing as part of our visit. Hopefully I should be able to do some posts from Kenya and Tanzania.