The Dominant Theme of Vengeance in Reasons for Joining the Armed Conflict in Burundi

This paper analyzes the reasons that Burundian (ex-) fighters joined the conflict in a country prone to cyclical political-ethnic conflicts, which degenerated into civil war. The analysis of the narratives of (ex-) fighters, in which feelings of revenge were frequently cited, supports the idea that vengeance was a key factor in the decision to join the armed conflict. Inherent to the violence of the Burundian socio-political context, vengeance underpins ideological and political motives for joining rebel groups. It also underlies professional and security force membership in both the regular army and the armed struggle, an armed struggle which forms a springboard for “settling scores” within and between families.