Burundi: Fighting for a cup of coffee - The relationship between conflict and resources

The small central African country of Burundi has repeatedly been wracked by conflict since its independence in 1962. Since 1993 a fully-fledged civil war has raged, with enormous human and economic cost. Tragically, the most promising episodes of Burundi’s history in terms of democratisation and reform have repeatedly been turned into the triggers for the most violent and deadly confrontations. This study is concerned with the role that the exploitation and control over the country’s agricultural produce has already played in fuelling the conflict.