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By Sam Kiley, Africa Correspondent, in Bujumbura.
HOPES for progress towards democracy in much of Africa lie shattered in
the dust of the Burundian capital and in the terrifying statistics
reinforcing the importance of tribalism.
When Melchior Ndadaye, three months after being elected President, was
dragged from his palace by disgruntled soldiers and murdered, along
with five other members of his government, dreams of democracy in
Burundi turned into a nightmare of murder, rape and destruction.
The killings sparked another round in Burundi's tribal war between
Hutus, the President's ethnic group, and Tutsis, who dominate the army.
In seven weeks 800,000 Barundi have fled the country, and another
208,000, their farms looted and burnt, are living in squalid refugee
camps within Burundi's borders. Burundi faces the greatest humanitarian
crisis since the Gulf War, UN officials said. Launching an appeal for
funds, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said 112 people were dying
every day in crowded camps in Rwanda. Last night the State Department
announced in Washington that America would resume aid to Burundi,
suspended after the coup attempt.
The failure of the democratic experiment in Burundi has been
accompanied in the past three months by the postponement of elections
in Togo, farcical polls in Equatorial Guinea, a military coup in
Nigeria, the refusal of the conservative alliance
to take part in
South Africa's elections and ethnic clashes in Kenya.
Amid these disasters and many more over the past year, including a
resurgence of civil war in Angola after stalled elections 15 months
ago, there seems to be little hope that democracy will take root on the
continent. Yet there appears to be no lack of enthusiasm among ordinary
Africans for elections. Turnouts at polls have averaged 70%, often
topping 90%. Angolans walked for days to mark their ballot papers.
So why is democracy not working in Africa? Many politicians, notably
President Moi of Kenya, have insisted that political pluralism (as
opposed to the one-party state) has done nothing for Africa but
undermine central government and boost ethnic conflict.
Kenneth Ingham, emeritus professor of history at Bristol University and
author of Politics in Africa: the Uneven Tribal Dimension, rejects
federalism as the key to a Pandora's box which, if opened, would lead
to endless ethnic strife.
It is clear Africans do understand democracy and have always practised
it at a local level. Local government with real power backed by a
strong central administration might accommodate the natural desires of
people to have a say over their destiny.
A more powerful theme is emerging: the failure of Africa's leaders to
put state interests of the state above those of their ethnic
constituents and their own desire for power, as well as their inability
to see democracy as consultative rather than combative.
Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, the United Nations special envoy sent to Burundi
two weeks ago, said: What is lacking is education; that democracy is
not only voting, but also being tolerant of others.
He blames Africa's
educated urban elite for deliberately fomenting tribal hatred.
