For nearly five years, the Central African country of Burundi has been in the throws of a civil war. 200,000 people have been killed, hundreds of thousands displaced and half a million more Burundians are living in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. At long last, peace may be on the horizon: a ceasefire is due to go into effect. Even if it does hold, it will take years to deal with the economic and humanitarian consequences of the long and bloody war. It’s likely to be even more difficult to bring about true reconciliation between the Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority.
Producer: Eric Beauchemin
Broadcast: August 28, 1998