Opinion: desolate Burundi

Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza has succeeded in winning a third term despite protests by the population at home and criticism and condemnation abroad. The elections were conducted swiftly with Burundians casting their ballots in a tense, angst-ridden atmosphere in which basic human rights were ignored. Nkurunziza's opponents now have to accommodate themselves to his victory while trying to deliver some sort of political response to it. The opposition and other actors are discussing various options, but a consensus does not yet appear within reach.

Their difficulties have been made worse by the procrastination of the mediators, who initially intervened in the crisis with a display of determination only to fall foul of the deceit and unscrupulousness of the Burundian government, which has no intention of listening to, or acting upon, the desires and aspirations of the people.

'If you can see a way out - take it!' That seems to be the prevailing dictum in Burundi's post-election chaos. Alliances are forged and then dissolved, depending on which way the wind is blowing and who has the upper hand. Proposals are put forward one after the other, each one being more hasty, illusory or hazardous than the one that preceded it. And circling above the day-to-day uncertainty is the nagging question: how could all this have happened? Too much blood has been shed, too many people have been arrested, murdered, too many innocent citizens driven into exile.

How much more intimidation, humiliation and deprivation are the people of Burundi expected to bear? And who is responsible for it? The country's rulers, or those who were incapable of dislodging them? Some are pointing an accusatory finger, others seek to justify their actions, yet others feel overcome by guilt, like repentant sinners.

Where is Burundi heading?

What would be the best way forward? Should a transitional administration or a government of national unity be formed? Or a council that monitors compliance with the Arusha agreement and the integrity of the Burundian state? [Editor's note: one such council was formed by members of the opposition in exile in Addis Ababa on August 2, 2015]

Or is armed struggle until the bitter end the only option? Or a coup? Negotiations might be one way out - but who would conduct them? Or would tougher international sanctions against the regime be the answer?

Two factors would come into play in any of these scenarios: Public anger at an apparent breach of the constitution by those whose duty it is to uphold it and the non-existence of a united opposition, which could coordinate various initiatives so that they have the desired impact.

The opposition is fragmented and the regime is exploiting this to dismember it in its entirety. This is painful to observe for the regime's countless victims.

In such choppy waters, more or less everybody believes they can lay their hand on the tiller. Former henchmen who helped create the repugnant apparatus of repression now cloak themselves in innocence. Former politicians choose to remember their past deeds in a positive light, forgetting that the people rejected them for their authoritarian and tyrannical excesses. New arrivals to Burundian politics promise everybody everything. There is little appealing or pleasant about those campaigning for change in our country. One can only hope that with the passage of time political realism will triumph over the villainy, egotism and thoughtless speculation. May statesmanship and self-control eventually prevail.

Domitille Kiramvu reported from Burundi for DW until the start of the protests against President Nkurunziza. She then fled the country and now lives in Belgium.