Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since Burundi gained independence in 1962, this country has experienced periods of mass
communal violence. Extensive scholarly research has focused on exploring the factors
behind, and the nature of, the conflicts in Burundi from a socio-ethnic perspective. There has,
however, been a persistent lack of attention paid to the inextricable relationship between
environmental factors; particularly the scarcity of resources, coupled with rapid population
growth; and Burundi‘s recent history of internal conflict. Noteworthy explanatory factors,
which are often ignored in literature on the environment and conflict, have thus motivated
this study. Burundi is an example of this reality because of a highly dependent agricultural
economy and a constant growing population. This study used a descriptive analysis, as
methodological tool; in order to gain an understanding of Burundi‘s land question - that is,
how limited access to land and the constantly increasing population have led to
environmental degradation, that served as motivational trigger factors for the violent political
conflicts that occurred at various periods between 1965 and 1993 in this country. This study
addresses this epistemological gap. In order to explore the nexus between environmental
factors, land access, population growth and the political conflicts in Burundi, this study draws
and builds upon Jared Diamond‘s (2005) five point framework of potential trigger factors to
environmental collapse. Moreover, Diamond‘s (2005) ecocide theory argues that there are
eight specific indicators to demonstrate how societies undermine themselves by damaging
their own environment; thus resulting in an ecocide. This theory was applied to the two main
environmental variables examined in this study. More specifically, this theoretical
perspective provided a base for exploring how land issues, population growth, environmental
degradation and political change can be understood as important precursors to the violent
conflicts in Burundi. What may be surmised by this study; is that there is indeed a positive
correlation between these forces, where the values of the independent variables (land access
and population growth) are associated with the values of the dependent variable (violent conflict). This correlation, therefore, calls for an acknowledgement of the complexity of the
Burundian conflicts and that ethnicity which has dominated contemporary conflict analysis is
but one of several social rifts. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert Burundi in 1962 onafhanklikheid verkry het, het hierdie land periodes van massa
gewelddadige politieke konflik ervaar. Uitgebreide wetenskaplike navorsing het daarop
gefokus om die faktore agter die gebeure, sowel as die aard van die konflik in Burundi vanuit
‘n sosio-etniese perspektief, te ondersoek. Tog word daar steeds gebrekkige aandag geskenk
aan die onlosmaaklike verhouding tussen omgewingsfaktore, veral gebrek aan hulpbronne,
gepaardgaande met die voortgesette bevolkingsaanwas; asook Burundi se onlangse
geskiedenis van interne konflik. Noemenswaardige gapings, wat dikwels in die verklarende
literatuur geïgnoreer word, het dus hierdie studie gemotiveer. Burundi is ‘n voorbeeld van
hierdie werklikheid omdat die land baie afhanklik van landbou is; as gevolg van die
kontstante bevolkingsaanwas in die land. Hierdie navorsing het beskrywende analise as ‘n
metodologiese instrument gebruik om insig te kry oor Burundi se grondkwessie – met ander
woorde hoe die beperkte toegang tot grond en ‘n toenemende bevolkingsaanwas gelei het tot
die agteruitgang van die omgewing. Bostaande faktore het as motiverende sneller faktore
gedien, wat aanleiding gegee het tot die gewelddadige politieke konflik, wat gedurende
verskillende periodes tussen 1965 en 1993 in hierdie land ontstaan het. Hierdie studie poog
dus om hierdie epistomologiese gaping aan te spreek. Ten einde die verband (nexus) tussen
omgewingsfaktore, grondbesit, bevolkingsaanwas en die politieke konflikte in Burundi te
ondersoek, steun en bou hierdie studie voort op Jared Diamond (2005) se vyfpunt raamwerk
van potensiële sneller faktore, wat lei tot omgewings ineenstorting. Verder beweer Diamond
(2005) se omgewings uitwissing (ecocide) teorie dat daar agt spesifieke aanduidings is om te
demonstreer hoe gemeenskappe hulself ondermyn deur hul eie omgewing te
beskadig/vernietig: wat uitloop op omgewings uitwissing (ecocide). Hierdie teorie is
aangewend in die twee hoof omgewings veranderlikes, wat in die studie/ navorsing
ondersoek is. Hierdie teoretiese perspektief het ook spesifiek ‘n basis voorsien om te
ondersoek hoe grondkwessies, bevolkingsaanwas, omgewings agteruitgang en politieke
verandering verstaan kan word as belangrike aanwysers van die geweldadige konflik in Burundi. Deur middel van hierdie studie kan ‘n duidelike opsomming gemaak word dat daar
inderdaad ‘n positiewe korrelasie tussen hierdie magte voorkom, waar die waardes van die
onafhanklike veranderlike (toegang tot grond en bevolkingsgroei) geassosieer word met die
waardes van die afhanklike veranderlike (geweldadige konflik). Hierdie korrelasie verg dus
‘n beroep om erkenning te gee aan die kompleksiteit van konflik in Burundi. Hierdie etniese
debat, wat tans die oorheersende konflik aanvuur, is maar net een van die verskeie
interpretasies van sosiale breekpunte in Burundi is.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/80070 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Jengo, Elisabeth Naito |
| Contributors | Du Toit, P. V. D. P., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xiv, 123 p. Ill. , map |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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