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Burundi - US Relations

The United States established diplomatic relations with Burundi in 1962, following its independence from a Belgian-administered trusteeship. From 1993 to 2006, the country saw civil war driven by ethnic tensions. The 2000 Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Accords provided a negotiated settlement to the conflict. National elections in 2010 were judged by domestic and international observers to be free and fair.

The electoral process in 2014 and early 2015 was marred by criticism of the closing of political space, severe press restrictions and intimidation and violence against the population by the ruling party's youth militia, the Imbonerakure. The April 25, 2015 announcement by President Pierre Nkurunziza that he would seek a third term in violation of the Arusha Agreement resulted in protests and multiple deaths. Burundi's ongoing political instability has substantially hindered progress towards democratic consolidation and the realization of peace dividends for the population.

U.S. Government goals in Burundi, one of the poorest countries in the world, are to help the people of Burundi realize a just and lasting peace based on democratic principles and sustainable economic development. The United States encourages political stability, democratic reforms, political openness, respect for human rights, and economic development. In the long term, the United States seeks to strengthen the process of internal reconciliation and democratization within all the states of the region to promote a stable, democratic community of nations that will work toward mutual social, economic, and security interests on the African continent. As the situation in Burundi normalizes, the United States seeks to facilitate its integration into regional and international markets, as a means to promote sustainable economic development.

US foreign assistance aims to promote private sector-led economic growth, emphasizing agricultural production and trade (particularly within the East African Community Common Market); improve health care delivery; combat HIV/AIDS; reduce malnutrition in children under the age of 2 years; strengthen good governance and government effectiveness; and build the capacity of Burundi to maintain peace and security both at home and elsewhere in Africa. All development assistance programs seek to prioritize women and youth.

Burundi is eligible for preferential trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The United States has signed trade and investment framework agreements with the East African Community and with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. Burundi is a member of both regional organizations. The primary U.S. exports to Burundi in 2014 included computer and electronic products. The primary import from Burundi to the United States remained coffee.

US President Barack Obama said October 30, 2015 he planned to remove Burundi from a US trade preference program because of a worsening crackdown on the political opposition there, after Burundi's president took a controversial third term in office. In a letter to Congress, Obama said the violence against Burundi's opposition includes "assassinations, extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and torture."

The measure to drop Burundi from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) will take effect on January 1. AGOA allows eligible African countries to import certain products without paying any duties, helping the countries to boost exports.

President Obama issued a new Executive Order (E.O.) November 23, 2015 declaring a national emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the situation in Burundi.