ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the political changes that Burundi has undergone since war broke out in 1993. It addresses how these changes affected Burundi's political economy, and by what means and to what extent the international community's deep involvement in this period changed the distribution of power in the country. The chapter chronologically examines three periods of international involvement in Burundi: during the war and negotiations between 1993 and 2002; the transition period from 2002 to 2005; and the post-election period. The period of transition, between the signing of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement and the first multi-party elections in 2005, saw the formation of the new rules of the game that now characterize Burundian politics. In 2000 Tutsi President Buyoya had held on to power through the mediated settlement at Arusha. Military integration and the process of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration consumed the efforts of both the international community and domestic political actors during the transition period.
