Burundi's long wait for justice

"Burundi's long wait for justice: BBC - From our own correspondent"

The choice now is whether to try to bring to justice all those involved in more than 40 years of political violence.

Or whether to search only for the ringleaders.

Whether to concentrate on punishing the guilty on all sides, or on trying to reconcile divided populations.

But many Burundians are sceptical of seeing any justice at all.

Political and military leaders who faced each other during the civil war will now sit together in the new parliament and the new united army.

Many fear these leaders have a shared interest in slowing down investigations into the crimes that all sides committed.

Back in Mpamirundi, Domatilla is waiting for the wind to bring back the rains.

She is getting ready to plant again like every year.

She says she is waiting for justice. She wants those who killed her husband and relatives to be punished.

But most of all she says, she wants them to recognise what they did and come to ask her for forgiveness.

"Then I can really be sure they will never try to do the same thing again," she says. "And it is only then I can know my children will be safe."

Burundi, human rights, Current Affairs, Politics, Africa

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