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IFES - Burundi

Burundi

After a long civil war during which some 300,000 people have been killed since 1993, Burundi completed the last step of the transitional period outlined in the peace plan signed in Arusha, Tanzania, in 2000. Its presidential election—held August 19, 2005—ended the three-year transitional period. Burundi faces the challenges of maintaining stability and building political institutions that allow its democracy to grow stronger.

Past Projects

Anti-corruption and Good Governance

From 2007-2008, IFES provided technical assistance in Burundi to increase the capacity of key anti-corruption institutions, such as the Ministry of Good Governance. IFES provided targeted assistance and skills training to both state and non-state actors, promoting both the supply of and demand for good governance.  IFES' work with civil society focused on multiple day training programs – such as "Corruption Reporting and Investigation Techniques" – that fostered the monitoring duties of civic institutions. The results were impressive and immediate: within two months of an anti-laundering training, an Anti-Money Laundering Law was passed, reflecting a number of the principles and language presented at the workshop.

Electoral Support for the Transition

Burundi successfully moved through a full election cycle that began 3 June 2005 with communal elections, culminating in the September 2005 colline, or local, elections. Post-election reviews of the polls were hosted jointly by IFES and the CENI (the electoral commission).

Great Lakes Justice Initiative: Promoting the Rule of Law in Burundi (1999-2006)

Between 2000 and 2003, IFES worked with civil society organizations in Burundi to strengthen their capacity to support the process of reconciliation and a return to the rule of law. IFES led a consortium with the International Human Rights Law Group (now Global Rights), funded through the Great Lakes Justice Initiative.

Initiative for Peace (2002 - 2004)

Between 2002 and 2004, IFES managed a sub-grant program to support the transition to peace and democracy as articulated in the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Accords (APRA) and to promote community reintegration and stabilization.

Technical Assistance to Anti-corruption Institutions

Since 2007, IFES has promoted good governance to address underlying corruption issues adapted to the central African context.