Latest News #234 - Burundi
February 20, 2003

Bible Society in Burundi asks for prayer as hopes for peace fade

BUJUMBURA, Burundi — As hope fades for an end to Burundi’s long and bloody civil war, Marjorie Niyungeko, General Secretary of the Bible Society in Burundi, has asked the UBS fellowship to pray “for God’s protection and peace.” In an e-mail late last week, Mrs Niyungeko described the despair of the people of Burundi and spoke about the need to share God’s Word with them.

“We really need prayer - when I look at what is happening to us I cannot understand it, and I know many people here feel the same way,” she said. “There was fresh hope for an end to the war when a ceasefire agreement was signed in December but we have now realised that was just a ‘mirage’ because people are still being killed and the army and rebels are still fighting.

“In fact, the rebels have even intensified their activities since the ceasefire agreement and they are recruiting and training new members.”

The December ceasefire was signed by President Pierre Buyoya and one of the main Hutu rebel groups - the Forces for the Defence of Democracy (FDD). Almost as soon as it was signed, however, another major rebel group - the National Liberation Forces (FNL) - announced that it would not be bound by the ceasefire. The FNL is based closer to Bujumbura than any other rebel groups and many people within and outside the beleaguered capital remain sceptical that the ceasefire will make a difference.

Burundians have had their hopes for peace thwarted before - in August 2000, a peace agreement signed in Tanzania did not put an end to the war and in December 2001 a power-sharing agreement brokered by Nelson Mandela failed to stop the fighting between the Tutsi government and Hutu rebels. As part of the power-sharing agreement, Mr Buyoya, a Tutsi, is due to be replaced by Hutu Vice President Domitien Ndayizeye on May 1, and the army is to be restructured, made up of 50 per cent government forces and 50 per cent Hutu rebels.

In the meantime, the future remains uncertain for Burundi’s six million people.

“The general feeling among people is fear - fear of being killed, fear of thieves and fear of hunger,” commented Mrs Niyungeko. “Our fear as a Bible Society is not being able to provide the Holy Scriptures to help people overcome this fear. [Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement] rebels will soon be garrisoned in towns and many refugees will return from Tanzania and we would like to distribute the Word of God to them. Please pray that we will be able to do this.

“It is during this hard time that we have started building our Bible House but we are encountering many problems with this project. One of them is the devaluation of our local currency which is causing prices to soar. Please pray that the funds will be available to complete the building work.”