Christopher DeBeule, Belgian scholar/activist who has lived and taught in Rwanda and who has followed events in Rwanda and Burundi closely for many years. He testified as an expert witness at the UN Tribunal in Tanzania.
Christopher DeBuele responds to Phil Taylor's questions: (1) How do you characterize what is unfolding in Burundi and what is the source of conflict (2) how do you interpret the use of inflammatory language applying "logic" that something awful is about to happen and the West has to go in and rescue?
Debuele deduced that ethnic problems did not play a major part in the crisis in Burundi, but as fires got hotter, some painted a picture of ethnic problems as a way of getting support from abroad.
DeBuele says it is important to look at what happened in Rwanda in 1994 and connect to what is happening in Burundi now. He asks questions: Why is there is there not more information on where arms for the coupsters and violent opponents are coming? Who pays the militants? Who supports them? Is there international support? Why does the international media cover only part of the story? Is this pattern what we have already seen in Rwanda and other countries?
Interview with Christopher DeBuele
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