Africa's Great Lakes Region: Current Conditions in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda

Publication Date: October 2003

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

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Abstract:

The Great Lakes region is slowly becoming more stable after almost a decade of conflicts. The region remains vulnerable, however, since armed rebel groups are active in eastern Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and northern Uganda.

In Burundi, after a decade of conflict, prospects for a lasting peace appear promising. On August 28, 2000, a partial agreement was reached in Arusha, Tanzania, signed by 14 parties, seven Hutu and seven Tutsi. Twenty heads of state were at this meeting, including then President Clinton. In early 2001, the parties had reached agreement on a transitional government, but the armed groups rejected the deal. A transitional government, consisting of all Arusha-participant parties, was formed in November 2001, with President Pierre Buyoya as interim head of state for 18 months. The transitional regime has had limited success thus far, but serious challenges remain.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), significant progress has been made in recent months and the transition program seems to be moving forward. In December 2002, the Inter-Congolese Dialogue achieved a major breakthrough when President Joseph Kabila and the parties to the conflict agreed to a transitional government. The Agreement was signed in Pretoria, South Africa by the DRC government, the Congolese Democratic Rally (RCD-Goma), the Movement for the Congolese Liberation (MLC), and representatives of the unarmed political groups. The agreement calls for a two-year transition period headed by President Kabila and four Vice Presidents. The new government was sworn in July 2003.

Rwanda held its first multi party elections in August 2003, almost ten years after the 1994 genocide. President Paul Kagame won 95% of the votes, while his nearest rival, Faustin Twagiramungu, received 3.6% of the votes cast. In the legislative elections, the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) won 73% of the 80-seat National Assembly, while the remaining seats went to RPF allies and former coalition partners. The European Union Observer Mission stated that the elections were marred by irregularities and intimidation of opposition candidates were widespread. Rwandan government officials dismissed the EU charges, arguing that the elections reflected the wishes of the people.

In Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni continues to dominate the political scene. In March 2001, he was re-elected for a second term. In March 2003, President Museveni suggested to his National Executive Committee, the leadership organ of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), that the party should consider lifting the ban on a multi-party system. Museveni is being criticized by the opposition and the international community for his efforts to overturn the two-term limit in the Constitution in order to run in 2006 when his second term expires. Meanwhile, the situation in northern Uganda continues to deteriorate with indiscriminate attacks against civilians by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). This report will be updated as events warrant.