« Back to Accord

Powersharing Transitional Government: Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement for Burundi

Implementations

Powersharing Transitional Government – 2003

Not all major parties to the conflict signed the agreement until 2003. During this three year gap, implementation of the powersharing provision began. After the Arusha accord, all sides reached an agreement to accept the leadership of Pierre Buyoya from Union from the National Progress Party (UPRONA) for the initial 18 months of transitional period with Domitien Ndayizeye from Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) as the vice president. After 18 months, Domitien Ndayizeye would become a president and a new Vice-President will be designated by the G-10 group (the Tutsis).¹ This decision was made in a regional summit of Implementation Monitoring Committee held in in Lusaka, Zambia on 23 July 2001.² The transitional government was formally inaugurated on 1 November 2001.³ Out of 26 cabinet portfolios, the Hutu groups got 14 ministries and the Tutsi groups got 12 ministries.⁴

The Pretoria Protocol I (8 October 2003), however, gives the CNDD-FDD positions in the transitional executive and the legislative branch of the government. The CNDD-FDD had rejected the ceasefire negotiations and was not sharing power in the transitional government. The CNDD-FDD was granted four ministries, 15 seats in the National Assembly, three governorships, two ambassador posts, 30 positions in local council administrators, and 20 percent directorate positions in public enterprises.⁵ The CNDD-FDD formally joined the government on 23 November 2003 when a new 27-member cabinet was announced.⁶

“Secretary General’s Report to the Security Council,” The United Nations Security Council (S/2001/1076), November 14, 2001.
“Burundi; Regional Summit Approves Transitional Leadership,” Africa News, July 23, 2001.
“BURUNDI: New government inaugurated, dawn of a new era,” Irin News, accessed on February 15, 2013, http://www.irinnews.org/fr/node/196978.
Ibid.
“Secretary General’s Report to the Security Council,” United Nations Secuity Council (S/2003/1146), December 4, 2003.
Ibid.

Powersharing Transitional Government – 2004

No developments observed this year.

Powersharing Transitional Government – 2005

The transitional government was in power until the elections were held on 19 August 2005. In the elections, the CNDD-FDD leader Pierre Nkurunziza was elected and the inauguration of his term took place on 26 August.