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Safety & Security in BURUNDI

With the assurance of our host partner and associates who have recently traveled to Burundi, we believe wholeheartedly that our delegates in Burundi will be safe, despite the advisories that we read. We acknowledge that as an extra precaution to American travelers, the US State Department continues to apply a travel warning to Burundi. Such an advisory would be essential for tourists traveling on their own, without local hosts and relations. Burundi is by and large a safe place for foreigners to visit, particularly when properly housed and cared for by a well-placed local organization as we will be with JRMD.

Stability in Burundi has substantially and steadily increased over the past several years, and peace has taken root following the international efforts to mediate peace between Hutu rebels and the Burundian government whose military is mostly Tutsi. The Arusha Accords sponsored by Nelson Mandela and with the help of former President Clinton provided for power sharing in the government and a transitional government now led by Hutu President Domitien Ndaizeye. As of August, 2005 Burundi has a democratically elected government with power sharing formulas for all areas, including the military. In November 2005, JRMD founder Prosper Ndabishuriye was introduced to the new President, Pierre Nkurunziza, and so this work is now known to the new Burundian government. Following a ceasefire agreement signed between the Burundian Government and PALIPEHUTU-FNL late last year, the security situation continues to improve and Bujumbura has remained free of attacks since July of 2006.

In the words of our Burundi partner, Prosper Ndabishuriye, Founder & Director of JRMD (Jeunesse en Reconstruction du Monde en Destruction (JRMD) (Youth in Reconstruction of the World in Destruction) says, “At JRMD we would like to inform the visiting teams, wherever they come from, whatever their nationalities, we will make sure that their safety is guaranteed; though we can not guarantee them 100% of their safety, because only God can do that.

“Even though Africa has been given a very negative image, whenever people from Europe or North America come to visit, they go back with a very different and positive image of Africa; because our hospitality and spirit of caring for our visitors is very strong.

“Just in the last year, JRMD received four different groups from USA. We traveled together everywhere with them without any problem. Consider that in July 2007, a church from New York sent more than 250 delegates, from Times Square Church of New York, for a period of three weeks to work in different project all over Burundi in partnership with Alliance of Evangelical Churches of Burundi. All have returned safe and sound, without incident to safety or security.”

As a precaution, our GCJ delegation will be registered with the Embassy in Bujumbura. Thus, if any issues do arise, they will know how to contact us. Indeed, during our entire visit to Burundi, we will be in range of cell phone service and so can be easily contacted if the Embassy feels we need to be informed of security issues or for any other reason well in advance of any situation escalating so we will be able to take appropriate steps.

Please note that most of things in the news about Africa are exaggerated. In terms of worries over crime, please consider how every city in the world – including or especially in the US - has reports of muggings and small crimes and that is the same in Bujumbura City. For the most part, Burundians are very friendly: they respect and treat foreigners very well. Further, we will be accompanied by some of JRMD staff everywhere you go.

For example, we do not need to worry about reports of the very few cases of carjacking in Bujumbura, as we will be driven around by experienced drivers who know the city of Bujumbura very well; so they will know where to avoid heavy traffic and dangerous places. Frankly, many Africans hear stories and are fearful to going to big cities in the US, where handguns and murders are in the news so frequently. For all of us everywhere in this world, safety and security seem to call for familiarity to know the right places and the right times to be there – These are the judgments and knowledge that our guides will be able to offer to the group. You will not be wandering off on your own.

Prosper says, “To conclude, we invite you wholeheartedly because we believe you will not only be safe in Burundi, but warmly welcomed. Yet we acknowledge that wherever in the world, we all know that we can’t be 100% sure of our safety. We just have to trust in God to keep us safe, because He is able.”

December 17, 2007