Burundi Army - History
When the Cong1o was established as a Belglan colony in 1884-85, and when Great Britain and Gernany divided large areas of eastern Africa in 1890, the territory constituting present-day Burundi was still practically unexplored. Its isolation, difficult topography, and hostile inhabitants discouraged early European adventiurers and explorers.
The Germans, hoping for profitable commercial activities, constructed a military station at Usumbura (now Bujumbura) in 1896. Between the time of their first military presence and their forcible ejection during World War I, the German garrisons launched numerous punitive expeditions to settle quarrels and punish rebellious chiefs, but they failed to enforce real peace or administrative control. The Tutsi feudal system, developed during centuries of dominion over the Hutu and Twa, was not readily adaptable to a European administrative system. On the eve of World War L, the German visions of profitable enterprise in the territory were still unfulfilled. A small measure of outside influence had been sulperimposed on the tribal chiefs in the areas now known as Burundi and its neighbor, Rwanda.
The outbreak of World War I caught the Germans, as well as the British and Belgians unprepared for combat in east Africa. The British and Belgians cooperated to defeat the. Germans in 1916. Thereafter. the Belgiann retained control of Rwanda-Burundi throughout the periods of the League of NIations mandate and, after World War II, the United Nations trosteeship, until the independent nations of Rwanda and Burundi were fornually established in 1962.
Since independence, Belgian aid and advisory personnel made a major contribution to the economic and social stability of the country. Ironically, certain military problems, such as the absence of a Blurtndi wilitary cadre which could have been expanded as the time of independence approached, can be attributed in part to earlier Belgian policies. Under Belgian adminiistration, for example, Burundi men were not recruited into military or police units. The Belgians employed Congolese soldiers to garrisonl the country. When internal disturbances occured, the Congolese readily fired on the local inhabitanits.
Since they were not recruited into colonial forces, the opportunity to acquire modern military skills were not available to the Burundi. The Belgians did commission at few Tutsi as 2d lieutenaints in 1962 and sent them to Belgian military schools. The Burundi Armed Forces, as it existed in the late 1960s, was formed around this small nucleus of Belgian-trained~ Tutsi officers. This force had no traditional military history and had never been combat tested. National consciousness was growing among military personnel but had not supplanted the traditional family, Clan and tribal loyalties.
Flexibility and mobility were emphasized. Combat units provided border security as their primary responsibility but could be assigned to support the intervention units, which were charged with maintaining or re-establishing internal security.
Support companies and intervention units were expected to control public disorders, or, they could be dispatched to augment the combat units in their roles. Territorial units were assigned normal internal police functions in the provinces. Provincial administrative authorities could, in emergency situations or widespread civil disorders, requisition intervention and combat units to support the territorial units.
Main supporting installations and units were concentrated in and near the capital city. Staff directorates included personnel, intelligence, operations, and logistics. Most of the Belgian military and technical advisers were assigned to the Armed Forces Headquarters and the Armed Forces School. Supporting units of the Logistic Directorate included a transport platoon, engineers, communications, medical services, quartermaster, and maintenance.
All were located at the Armed Forces base in Bujumbura. With a total of between 1,100 and 1,300 men, the Military Establishment ws small and the organizational structure uncomplicated. Since independence all military personnel have been volunteers. Statistics indicating the ethnic origins of military personnel are not available, but Ilutu probably make up more than 75 percent of the force. The officer corps, however, consisted almort entirely of Tutsi, who were well aware of the strong Hutu ethvic and class loyalties and the extensive killing of Tutsi by the Hutu in neighboring Rwanda between 1959 and 1964.
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