Clientelism, neo-patrimonialism and democratisation in Africa: challenges to ‘post-conflict’ Burundi

The liberal peace model has successfully diminished ethnicity as an electoral issue in Burundi, and electoral competitions over power are today between (and within) political parties rather than ethnic groups. In light of Burundi’s early democratisation and inter-ethnic rivalries, this article argues that the model has been a significant achievement in a state that had been characterised by ethno-political strife for decades. However, the liberal peace model has failed to produce better democratic governance than that of most states in Africa. Developments after Burundi’s 2005 elections have instead brought unexpected perspectives into the equation. Since as early as 2005 – and strongly reinforced after 2010 – the CNDD-FDD has gradually increased its stranglehold on the political landscapes through clientelism, neo-patrimonialism, corruption, and violence. Burundi has now become a banal dictatorship governed by untouchable people, poor administration at all levels, and non-independent institutions. The CNDDFDD regime’s exclusionary and undemocratic practices have sown the seeds of renewed grievance-based insurgency in Burundi, ultimately creating new threats to democracy and peace. The article contributes to the literature on democratisation, electoral competitions and intergroup relations in democracies