Anna and I had a coffee and mango frappe with Linley at the Aroma Café – the famously good ex-pat Internet café in town. Indeed the coffee was superb. Linley drives a Toyota Landcruser around town and to the outlying countryside. Courage!
She tells us of the van that was held up two weeks ago just south of Bujumbura, their money taken and then the occupants had petrol poured over them. A sobering story. Peace is superficial in this country. The multi ethnic elections last year still left division between the government and the PALIPEHUTU/FLN, which hasn’t agreed to terms. Attempted coups and killings have occurred. Politicians have been murdered. There is a frightening hush when politics is discussed as if people fear expressing their opinion. There’s been a violent class near our house several nights ago. The army brandish machine guns in the city. Frequent civilian checks on the main city streets. The police are corrupt and locals tell me to run the other way if you think the police may wish to question you. But perhaps there’s reason for optimism. All militias except the FLN have been immobilized. The army is now half Hutu and half Tutsi, a greater measure of security for Burundians.
Attempts at rebuilding the country are less impressive that those on Rwanda. A lot of the foreign aid money is not given to ordinary people but to “experts”, consultants and managers. Burundians are certainly hungry for peace.
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