Felix Kilonzo

The world today has been embracing a peaceful coexistence of human beings. Africa is known for prolonged civil wars which in one way or another has dwarfed the economic prosperity in the continent. In sub-Saharan Africa the Darfur civil war of 1983-2005 and ethnic based genocide of Rwanda and Burundi.    When the name Burundi is mentioned, the name of the former union of Ruanda-Urundi props up. Burundi is a tiny East African country which has an area of 27,830 square kilometres. It borders Tanzania in the east, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the west and Rwanda in the North. It has an estimated population of 8.09 million people as in 2005 and it is expected to reach 10.37 million people by 2015. In 1999 only 9% of Burundians lived in urban areas hence putting the country as the lowest urbanised country in Africa. 67% of the population is Christian mainly catholic while 23% hold some form of indigenous beliefs and the rest is Muslim. 99% of the citizens are Rundi and speak

Tweet In 1967, a regional integration body was created within the east African region. The body that fostered unity among the three former british colonies came to unite them for a better future. it was the sole union of the 3 countries who were formerly using same currency- the East African Currency which was phased out in 1966 as of kenya. And was successifully edged out of circulation in 1969. Presidents Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Mwai kibaki and Jakaya Kikwete during the kampala treaty establishing the common market protocol of 2009 agencies Presidents Kenyatta, Mwalimu Nyerere and Dr. Milton Apollo Obote joined hands and signed the famous east African treaty of 1967. This treaty emphasized on collective development of the east African region and more so the economic empowerment which created a uniform human resource and service delivery of the entire region. The treaty created a uniform block in transport, industrialization, manufacturing, labour, communication and

Tweet Africa has been known for maintaining its century old cultures. The cultures that has been raising eye brows and causing friction between the western cultures.These cultures have been gradually introduced by the media and the social technological advancements that leads to erosion of moral values. As a result the traditions and myths find their way to the next clinch generation. Among the cultures that have been carried on from generation to generation include, marriage customs, burial rites and naming. Anything less is at best considered a creation of the west. Having many wives like the famous Akuku Danger is considered African and there is no problem with it. Its non African being gay often stoned or scorned to death in many parts of Africa. According to an Anglican evangelist based in Zambia, “the issues of discrimination and hatred spread at best at the inception of the statement that our culture as Africans, in regardless of our beliefs does not accept homosexuality”

Sudan and their Southern counterparts need to move in and put their differences aside in the peace of the entire great lakes region. South Sudan walked in to independence with very many unsettled scores that ranged from the recent Heglig oil fields that ended with the withdrawal of the south. In 2011, the south Sudan voted for their cessation from the larger Sudan a move that was seen to bring peace in the region but it seems it’s far from being solved. In the comprehensive peace agreement CPA of 2005 that was signed by both Juba and Khartoum in Nairobi, the current territorial borders were not to be demarcated but the Abyei region has persisted to be a source of conflict. During the International conference on the great lakes region of Africa ICGLR, leaders from the 10 member state region called upon Sudan who is also a member of the body to respect the independence of their southern counterparts. The question that the leaders of both Sudan and south Sudan need to a