Another crossroad for Burundi: From the fnl to peaceful elections in 2010

The document details the conclusion of the peace process between the Government of Burundi and the Palipehutu-FNL, including the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) of combatants and the movement's transition into a political party. It further analyses the volatile pre-electoral environment for the 2010 polls, highlighting disputes over the electoral code, internal party divisions, and the risk of violence driven by the militarisation of youth leagues and incomplete civilian disarmament.

• The peace process with the Palipehutu-FNL concluded in 2009, marked by the movement changing its name to FNL on 9 January 2009 and its subsequent registration as the 42nd political party in Burundi on 22 April 2009.
• The DDR process for the FNL ended on 10 August 2009, with the government reporting a total of 16,948 'demobilised FNL' and approximately 1,500 demobilised members of a dissident group.
• Integration of FNL members into state security services involved 3,500 combatants, with approximately 2,100 joining the national army and 1,400 joining the police force.
• The FNL has faced significant internal instability, including an October 2009 congress where approximately 400 participants voted to oust leader Agathon Rwasa.
• The 2010 electoral code, adopted on 11 September 2009, established a polling sequence starting with communal polls, followed by presidential and legislative polls, and ending with colline level polls.
• The ruling party successfully pushed for a significant increase in the presidential candidate deposit, raising it from three million to 15 million Burundi Francs (approximately $12,000).
• There are reports of the 'militarisation' of political youth leagues, specifically the ruling party's Imbonerakure, which is allegedly used to harass and intimidate political opponents.
• Civilian disarmament has seen limited progress due to a history of government arms distribution and the tendency of rebel movements to hide weapons during DDR.
• The report identifies urban areas as the most likely sites for unrest during the elections due to the high concentration of failed ex-combatant reintegration and stark wealth inequality.

APA

Abdellaoui, J. E. (2009). Another crossroad for Burundi: From the fnl to peaceful elections in 2010. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/BURUNDI20NOV09.PDF

Chicago

Abdellaoui, Jamila El. Another crossroad for Burundi: From the fnl to peaceful elections in 2010. Institute for Security Studies, 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/BURUNDI20NOV09.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Abdellaoui |first1=Jamila El |title=Another crossroad for Burundi: From the fnl to peaceful elections in 2010 |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=19 November 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/BURUNDI20NOV09.PDF |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{abdellaoui2009another, author = {Abdellaoui, Jamila El}, title = {{Another crossroad for Burundi: From the fnl to peaceful elections in 2010}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/BURUNDI20NOV09.PDF}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }