Borders and violence in Burundi: regional responses, global responsibilities

Abstract

Situated within the volatile Great Lakes region of Africa, Burundi has suffered decades of violence, displacement and re-displacement. As violence and insecurity continues, most notably following a third term bid in 2015 by the country's President, an estimated 400,000-500,000 have been re-displaced, mostly across regional borders into neighbouring Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. This chapter exploresthe complex root causes of this ongoing violence, together with regional and global responses to this. Highlighting the role played by international actors and institutions in setting the ground for and sustaining the violence, it argues for a globalised politics of responsibility in responding to the ensuing crisis.