Bujumbura, Burundi

Bujumbura is the largest city of the Republic of Burundi, a landlocked country in central Africa, and was the country's capital until 2018. Established as a fishing village on the banks of Lake Tanganyika, Bujumbura was urbanized through successive periods of German, Belgian, and French colonization before becoming the capital of independent Burundi in 1962. Since then, military and cultural clashes have prevented development and have led to periods of economic stagnation.

Landscape

Bujumbura is a small city less than 5 square kilometers (1.9 square miles) in size. The city sits at roughly 794 meters (2,605 feet) above sea level and is surrounded by fertile forest and plains. Bujumbura is situated on the northeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika—which also touches Zambia, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—and is Burundi's main port and export center.

Bujumbura is organized in a grid around a central axis that serves as the city center, and many of the city's primary, paved roads were established during the city's colonial period. A number of cultural landmarks are located in or near the central district of the city, which also contains the primary commercial district and open market.

Bujumbura is divided into districts ranging from primarily commercial, at the center of the city, to residential districts, or quarters, in the surrounding areas. Architecture in Bujumbura ranges from traditional African housing and colonial buildings to modern buildings. Most of the city's most elaborate and expensive real estate surrounds Lake Tanganyika, which is also important to the city's local culture, recreation, and economy.

Burundi has a tropical, equatorial climate with high year-round temperatures and humidity, though circulation of seasonal air currents and shifts in elevation also influence temperature variations. Annual climate variations fall into two distinct seasons: a dry season from June to September and a rainy season from February to May. Bujumbura has an average temperature of 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) and highs of up to 31 degrees Celsius (89 degrees Fahrenheit).

People

Burundi is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa, with an estimated population of more than 13.1 million in 2023. The population of Bujumbura is roughly 1.207 million (2023 estimate). Most Burundi residents belong to one of two ethnic groups: the Hutu, accounting for 85 percent of the population, and the Tutsi, accounting for around 14 percent of the population. Other groups include the Twa, and small numbers of Asians, Europeans, and other African ethnicities.

The official languages of Burundi are Kirundi, a language derived from Bantu (which is the dominant language among the Hutu majority), and French, which is typically used in administrative and educational functions. In Bujumbura, Swahili is the most common language among the general population. Many of the city's residents are fluent in both Swahili and French or Kirundi.

The majority of Bujumbura's residents—roughly 67 percent—are Christian, mainly Catholic. Muslims and animist religious groups form the minority. Bujumbura contains many of the nation's most elaborate worship sites, including historic Roman Catholic churches and Muslim mosques.

Economy

Burundi is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with an underdeveloped economy and little diversity in terms of income. Civil war has impeded economic development in the nation from the 1960s until the early twenty-first century, and military instability and governmental corruption continue to pose barriers to economic recovery. Nonetheless, Burundi has a wealth of productive agricultural land, and more than 90 percent of the population is involved in subsistence agriculture. Gold, coffee, and tea are the nation's chief exports and constitute more than 90 percent of export revenues.

In addition to coffee and tea, cotton, tin ore, and animal hides are also chiefly exported in Bujumbura. The city also has several light manufacturing industries, including the manufacture of soap, textiles, and foodstuffs. Other industries include the processing and refinement of sugar and coffee. Burundi's tourism industry is underdeveloped and contributes little to the nation's annual revenues.

Burundi's chief export partners are Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Pakistan, while many of the nation's imports are purchased from Saudi Arabia, Belgium, and China. Burundi remains heavily dependent on foreign aid. Bujumbura benefits aid as the chief location for non-government organization (NGO) operations. The Bujumbura International Airport helps to facilitate economic growth in the capital.

Poverty is a major problem in Bujumbura, and Burundi, and many residents live without adequate access to sanitation and medical services. According to 2014 estimates by the CIA World Factbook, 64.6 percent of the total population lived below internationally established poverty lines. A lack of basic supplies, including hygiene products, poses a threat to the population as many of these basic items must be imported from foreign sources and are therefore very expensive.

Landmarks

Lake Tanganyika is a popular spot for recreation, and the surrounding area features a variety of restaurants, bars, and retail locations. While swimming is typically discouraged in many parts of the lake because of the danger of crocodiles and hippopotamuses, there are several protected beaches where people can engage in recreational water activities.

The Burundi Musée Vivant (museum of life), located near the lake, is dedicated to educating visitors about traditional life in Burundi. Among the museum's displays is a reconstruction of a colonial village. The museum's most famous exhibit is a full-scale reconstruction of an African royal house. Outside the museum, there are gardens with exhibits containing local reptiles and bird species. Bujumbura's Burundi Geologic Museum contains examples of the mineralogical diversity of the region.

Bujumbura's downtown district has a number of buildings left from the nation's German colonial period, and within the city center is the Roman Catholic cathedral and a Muslim mosque that are among the oldest and most significant religious monuments in the city. The National Stadium in Bujumbura is the site of many of the city's major sports contests and is also sometimes used for state celebrations and other events.

History

The earliest inhabitants of Burundi were most likely related to the Twa, a pygmy group that was the first to build a fishing village in the area that is now Bujumbura. The Hutu began arriving in the region between the seventh and eleventh centuries and largely displaced the Twa. They established a Hutu dynasty with Bujumbura as one of the Hutu's largest fishing villages.

Germany claimed control over Burundi in 1855 and established a colonial outpost in Bujumbura between 1889 and 1899. The Germans used Bujumbura as their administrative headquarters and built some of the roads and buildings that remain part of the city's architectural heritage. Belgium took control of Burundi in 1916 and made Bujumbura a military post. Under Belgian control, Bujumbura grew rapidly, with a variety of new buildings and paved roads established around the city center.

An independence movement arose in the 1940s and, by the late 1950s, Belgium was making preparations to transition Burundi to autonomy. When the nation gained its independence in 1962, the Tutsi minority gained control of the government with assistance from Belgium, setting the stage for a power struggle between the Hutu and Tutsi that would last for more than five decades. Military coups occurred in 1963 and 1966, and the government was forced to use the military to counter a Hutu popular uprising in 1965.

The civil war, which officially lasted from 1971 to 2006, with brief interludes of relative peace, left more than 100,000 dead and a further 100,000 or more displaced. The United Nations (UN) maintained a peacekeeping presence in Burundi until 2007, when a peace agreement achieved a measure of stability. Since 2007, the UN has remained active in helping Bujumbura to institute economic initiatives, though ethnic warfare in and around the capital continues to hinder infrastructural improvements. Progress has been made in improving conditions in Bujumbura, including new roads and repairs on prominent buildings. The UN has contributed millions of dollars in aid to Burundi.

In 2015, two-term incumbent president Pierre Nkurunziza was nominated for a third term, the legality of which was not clear. This led to more than two months of protests, primarily occurring in Bujumbura. Nkurunziza was reelected amid an opposition boycott and began consolidating his power, culminating in a controversial constitutional referendum in 2018 that would have allowed Nkurunziza to remain in office until 2034, which was approved, leading to further protests in Bujumbura. However, Nkurunziza announced that he would not seek a fourth term in 2020. Rumors swirled that he had contracted COVID-19, which aggravated an existing heart condition. He died on June 8, 2020, and was succeeded by Évariste Ndayishimiye.

In December 2018, Nkurunziza announced that the country's capital would be moved to Gitega, ostensibly because of its central location within the country.

Bibliography

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“Burundi.” The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 20 Feb. 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/burundi/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2024.

“Burundi.” World Health Organization. 2024, www.who.int/countries/bdi. Accessed 26 Feb. 2024.

Demissie, Fassil. Colonial Architecture and Urbanism in Africa: Intertwined and Contested Histories. Ashgate, 2012.

Ghoshal, Neela. Pursuit of Power: Political Violence and Repression in Burundi. Human Rights Watch, 2009.

Ghoshal Neela. “We’ll Tie You Up and Shoot You”: Lack of Accountability for Political Violence in Burundi. Human Rights Watch, 2010.