The Political Economy of Post-Conflict Development: A Comparative Assessment of Burundi and Rwanda - Economic Overview of Similar East African Countries With Tragic History of Genocide and Civil War

This report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. This study examines the political economy of post-conflict economic recovery in Rwanda and Burundi. These two countries, located in the Great Lakes region of East Africa, are commonly referred to as twins. They are relatively similar in size; are landlocked; have a similar topography, population density, ethnic composition, culture, and language; and share a colonial legacy as well as a tragic history of genocide. Despite the similarities shared by these two countries, Rwanda has been more successful in recovering economically from civil war, while Burundi has been in a cycle of civil strife mired with poverty. Why has Rwanda been more successful than Burundi in post-conflict economic growth and development? This study argues that the differences between Rwanda and Burundi's transition from conflict to peace, political elite dynamics, and center-periphery relationships are key in explaining the divergence in their post-conflict economic outcomes. These insights facilitate a better understanding of how politics influence the trajectory of post-conflict economic recovery.

Rwanda and Burundi, located in the Great Lakes region of East Africa, are commonly referred to as twins. They are relatively similar in size; are landlocked; have a similar topography, population density, ethnic composition, culture, and language; and share a colonial legacy as well as a tragic history of genocide. Despite the similarities shared by these two countries, Rwanda has been more successful in recovering economically from civil war, while Burundi has been in a cycle of civil strife mired with poverty. Why has Rwanda been more successful than Burundi in post-conflict economic growth and development? This study undertakes a comparative case study of Rwanda and Burundi to ascertain why growth is sustained in some post-conflict countries and not in others. It examines elite dynamics and center-periphery dynamics that emerged in Rwanda and Burundi after their respective transitions from conflict to peace. This study finds that the nature of post-conflict political settlements influence and incentivize political elites to deliver economic growth and development to the societies they serve. These insights facilitate a better understanding of the challenges facing economic recovery in post-conflict countries.

Following the introduction chapter, the second chapter analyzes Rwanda transition from conflict to peace, highlighting key aspects of the political elite dynamics and center-periphery dynamics that led to the country's remarkable post-conflict economic trajectory. The third chapter reviews Burundi's long path from conflict to peace, homing-in on the political elite dynamics of the power sharing agreement as well as the center-periphery dynamics that led to the country's dismal post-conflict economic performance. Finally, this study concludes by analyzing the findings from the analysis of the aforementioned hypotheses. This conclusion also seeks to infer the underlying implications of politics on post-conflict economic development.