Who Leads Burundi?

Leadership

Évariste Ndayishimiye

President of Burundi

Political Party

CNDD-FDD

Inaugurated

Jun 18, 2020

Term Ends

2027

Next Election

2027

Born

May 2, 1968 in Giheta, Burundi

Country Population

13M

Continent

Africa

Evariste Ndayishimiye became president in June 2020 following the death of Pierre Nkurunziza. A former general, he has sought to project a more moderate image than his predecessor and re-engage with the international community. He has focused on anti-corruption measures and economic reform while navigating complex ethnic and political dynamics.

Government

Capital

Gitega

Official Language(s)

Kirundi, French, English

Currency

Burundian Franc (BIF)

Government Type

Presidential Republic

Area

27,830 km²

Burundi is a small, densely populated landlocked country in the African Great Lakes region. It has experienced ethnic tensions and civil conflict but has made strides toward stability. The country sits on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, the world's second deepest lake. Agriculture, particularly coffee and tea, dominates the economy.

Burundi is a presidential republic dominated by the CNDD-FDD party (Conseil National pour la Défense de la Démocratie-Forces pour la Défense de la Démocratie). President Évariste Ndayishimiye (CNDD-FDD) has been president since June 18, 2020, after winning the May 2020 elections (controversial; opposition reported irregularities; the EU and U.S. did not send observers). He succeeded Pierre Nkurunziza, who died of COVID-19 on June 8, 2020 (days after the election; Nkurunziza had denied COVID existed and expelled WHO from Burundi). The 2018 constitution allows Ndayishimiye to run for two more terms (a reset from Nkurunziza's era).

Economic Snapshot

GDP

$3.1B

GDP Per Capita

$245

Income Group

Low income

Trade Balance

Large deficit

Inflation

26.3% (ISTEEBU, 2023; very high; currency depreciation)

Burundi's development situation is almost entirely constrained by its political history: decades of Hutu-Tutsi violence (the 1993-2005 civil war killed approximately 300,000; the 1972 massacres killed approximately 150,000-200,000 Hutu; the 1988 massacres); the 2015 constitutional crisis that ended EU and donor budget support; and extreme land pressure (average farm size approximately 0.7 hectares; population density 500+ people/km²). The Arusha Peace Agreement (2000; mediated by Nelson Mandela) that ended the civil war established power-sharing arrangements between Hutu and Tutsi (60-40 parliament ratio; 50-50 army integration); the CNDD-FDD (predominantly Hutu; armed movement that became a party) has dominated politics since 2005; critics argue that Nkurunziza's actions in 2015 violated the spirit of the peace deal. The nickel opportunity: Burundi's Musongati nickel deposit has never been developed; multiple foreign companies have signed concessions since the 1990s and then withdrawn (when political stability deteriorated); developing the deposit requires significant infrastructure investment (rail from Burundi to Tanzania coast; approximately 1,000 km; approximately $5 billion); at nickel prices driven by EV battery demand, the deposit's value is potentially transformative; the question is whether Burundi's political environment will ever be stable enough to attract the necessary capital.

Major Industries

• Coffee (~50% of merchandise export earnings; Burundian arabica; one of the world's highest-altitude coffees; specialty; washed processing)
• Tea (~20%; Teza and Rwegura estates; high altitude)
• Gold (artisanal; growing; one of East Africa's largest informal gold trading centers)
• Nickel (Musongati; potentially one of the world's 10 largest nickel deposits; undeveloped)
• Agriculture (subsistence; cassava; sweet potatoes; beans; sorghum; bananas)

Burundi is known for: Burundian coffee is among Africa's most prized specialty coffees: grown at 1,500-2,000+ m altitude in the Congo-Nile divide highlands; primarily washed (wet-processed) arabica with exceptional clarity and fruit notes; Burundian coffees command premium prices in specialty markets (Blue Bottle; Counter Culture; specialty roasters globally). Burundi also has one of the world's potentially largest undeveloped nickel deposits at Musongati (northeastern Burundi; approximately 200 million tonnes of nickel ore at approximately 1% nickel content; estimated 1+ million tonnes of recoverable nickel metal).

Trade Profile

Burundi runs a very large trade deficit; coffee and tea exports are insufficient to cover import needs; the country depends heavily on foreign aid (which has been significantly reduced since 2015 crisis) and remittances.

Top Exports

• Coffee (~50%; specialty arabica)
• Tea (~20%)
• Gold (artisanal; ~10%)
• Minor agricultural goods

Top Imports

• Petroleum products
• Consumer goods
• Food
• Machinery
• Vehicles

Export Destinations

• UAE
• Germany
• Belgium
• Pakistan

Import Partners

• China
• India
• Tanzania
• Uganda

The world depends on Burundi for: High-quality specialty arabica coffee (premium East African origin), and potential future nickel supply (Musongati undeveloped)

Burundi depends on the world for: Food, petroleum, consumer goods, and foreign aid (which has been significantly reduced since the 2015 political crisis)

Global Role

Burundi's global significance is being consistently one of the world's poorest countries ($230 nominal GDP per capita), the 2015 Nkurunziza constitutional crisis (1,200 killed; 400,000 displaced; president who denied COVID), world-class specialty arabica coffee, the Musongati nickel deposit (potentially one of the world's largest), and Lake Tanganyika.

• Burundi is consistently ranked the world's poorest country by GDP per capita (approximately $230; 2024 IMF nominal estimate); the combination of political instability, tiny resource base, high population density (approximately 500+ people/km²; one of Africa's highest), and landlocked geography creates extreme poverty
• Pierre Nkurunziza's 2015 constitutional crisis (running for a third term despite term limits; approximately 1,200 killed; 400,000 displaced; attempted coup; international sanctions) remains one of Africa's most recent governance crises from a post-civil-war peace agreement country
• Nkurunziza was also notable for denying COVID-19 (called it 'a disease of people without faith'; expelled WHO; held football matches as other countries locked down) and unexpectedly dying of COVID-19 (officially 'cardiac arrest') on June 8, 2020, days after the election of his designated successor
• Burundian specialty coffee (grown at 1,500-2,000+ m on the Congo-Nile highlands; Bourbon variety arabica; washed processing) commands premium prices in specialty markets worldwide; Burundi is one of East Africa's most prized coffee origins; approximately 600,000 smallholder farmers grow coffee
• The Musongati nickel deposit is one of Africa's potentially largest undeveloped mineral deposits: approximately 200 million tonnes of ore at approximately 1% nickel content (approximately 1+ million tonnes recoverable nickel); combined with cobalt and other minerals; valued at potentially $100 billion+ at peak prices; development has been prevented by political instability and infrastructure gaps
• Lake Tanganyika (677 m deep; 12 million years old; 500+ endemic species; 673 km long; shared by Burundi, DRC, Tanzania, Zambia) borders Bujumbura: the former capital is one of Africa's most remarkably situated cities (lakeside; palm trees; mountains); Bujumbura hosts Burundi's main university, port, and economic activity

Frequently Asked Questions

Who governs Burundi?

President Évariste Ndayishimiye (CNDD-FDD) has governed since June 18, 2020, after winning elections in May 2020 (disputed by opposition) and being inaugurated earlier than planned after his predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza died of COVID-19 (denied by the government) on June 8, 2020. Ndayishimiye was Nkurunziza's designated successor and former defense minister. He has shown marginally more openness to international engagement than Nkurunziza but the CNDD-FDD party's dominance and the power of the Imbonerakure youth militia (described by the UN as a 'force of oppression') remain key governance challenges.

What was the 2015 Burundi crisis?

In April 2015, President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would run for a third presidential term, despite the constitution limiting presidents to two terms. Nkurunziza argued his first term (2005-2010, when he was elected by parliament under the Arusha peace deal, not by voters directly) didn't count. Massive protests erupted in Bujumbura; the military attempted a coup on May 13, 2015 (which failed after Nkurunziza rushed home from a summit). Nkurunziza was re-elected in disputed July 2015 elections (opposition boycotted). Approximately 1,200 people were killed in violence from 2015-2020, approximately 400,000 fled to neighboring countries, and the EU suspended direct budget support to Burundi.

Why is Burundian coffee special?

Burundian coffee is one of East Africa's most prized specialty origins: grown at 1,500-2,200 m altitude on the Congo-Nile Divide (the highest ridge in Central Africa, where rivers flow west to Congo and east to Nile), primarily Bourbon variety arabica (one of the original two arabica varieties; brought to East Africa by French missionaries), and washed (wet-processed; pulping the cherry; fermenting; washing; producing exceptional cup clarity). Burundian coffees are known for blackcurrant, tropical fruit, and bright citrus notes. Approximately 600,000 smallholder farmers grow coffee as their primary cash crop. Leading specialty roasters (Blue Bottle; Counter Culture; others) offer Burundian single-origin coffees; they compete with Ethiopian and Rwandan coffees for top specialty buyers.

Related Countries

• Rwanda: Northern neighbor; extremely similar history (Hutu-Tutsi ethnic dynamics; genocide/civil war; reconstruction); Rwanda and Burundi were a single colonial entity (Ruanda-Urundi; Belgian mandate; 1916-1962); contrasting development outcomes: Rwanda's rapid development vs. Burundi's stagnation
• DR Congo: Western neighbor; Ruzizi River border; DRC-Burundi tensions over armed groups; Burundian troops deployed in DRC under EAC peace process; Bujumbura on Lake Tanganyika visible from DRC shore
• Tanzania: Southern and eastern neighbor; Tanzania hosted Burundian peace negotiations (Arusha; 2000); Dar es Salaam is Burundi's primary port access; hundreds of thousands of Burundian refugees hosted in Tanzania over the decades
• Kenya: Regional comparison: both have high-altitude specialty coffee; EAC partners; Kenya's governance success contrasts with Burundi's instability
• Belgium: Belgium colonized Burundi (Ruanda-Urundi; 1916-1962 after taking from Germany in WWI); Belgium significantly influenced the Hutu-Tutsi identity cards system (which exacerbated ethnic tensions leading to violence); Belgian companies historically major coffee and tea investors
• South Africa: Nelson Mandela mediated the Arusha Peace Agreement (2000) that ended Burundi's civil war; South Africa sent peacekeeping troops (AMIB) to Burundi before AU took over; Mandela's role in Burundian peace is one of his most significant post-presidency achievements