After reaching independence in 1962 Burundi experienced multiple conflicts and in 1993 a civil war which ended in 2000 with the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Accords. The accord refocused some attention to local government although retaining most of the former institutional divisions that dated back to 1982. In 2000 only a minor change took place when the capital and province of Bujumbura was divided into a separate urban and rural province creating a total of 17 provinces. A further 117 communes are responsible for regional administration over a number of collines (zones) of which there are 2,638 in total. Following the peace accords Burundi successfully held local, presidential and parliamentary elections in 2005 valid for a five year term. The next round of elections in 2010 took place according to plan and on all five levels of government ranging from local parliaments to the election of the president. The next elections are tentatively planned to take place in 2015.
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Development of Burundi since 2000 has taken place in close cooperation between the Ministère de la Décentralisation et du Développement Communal and the international community in line with the Peace and Reconciliation Accords. Local government is enshrined in the 2005 constitution that was drafted at the end of the transitional period. Title XI defines towns and local areas as responsible for primary administrative functions. Further legislation provides localities with specific tasks such as the settlement of disputes (as a part of the countries path to reconciliation). Through these laws central government is facilitating the legal context in which local authorities can further develop.
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Cooperative projects between local communities and international organizations thus try to strengthen localities from the ground up. The Burundi Decentralization Programme tries to bring small-scale experiences of local government into national dialogue encouraging central government to support more decentralization. Other programs focus on good governance, humanitarian aid, peace and stability and economical development.
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