Since independence in 1961 Burundi has been plagued by tension between the dominant Tutsi minority and the Hutu majority and has been the scene of one of Africa 's most intractable conflicts . A new transitional government, inaugurated on 1 November 2001 , signed a power-sharing agreement with the largest rebel faction in December 2003 and set in place a provisional constitution in October 2004. Implementation of the agreement has been problematic, however, as one remaining rebel group refuses to sign on and elections have been repeatedly delayed, clouding prospects for a sustainable peace. The new government is led by President Pierre Nkurunziza.

Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly agricultural with more than 90% of the population dependent on subsistence agriculture. Economic growth depends on coffee and tea exports, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings. The ability to pay for imports, therefore, rests primarily on weather conditions and international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi minority, 14% of the population, dominates the government and the coffee trade at the expense of the Hutu majority, 85% of the population.

The original inhabitants of Burundi were the Twa, a Pygmy people who now make up only 1% of the population.After World War II the former German colony of Ruanda-Urundi was made a trust territory under Belgian administration by the UN. In 1959 it was split into Rwanda and Urundi. In Sept. 1961 Prince Louis Rwagasore became Prime Minister but was assassinated two months later. In the same year Urundi voted to become the independent Kingdom of Burundi and on July 1, 1962 it gained independence with the Tutsi controlling the country.

After Burundi 's independence, ill feeling between the Hutu and Tutsi led to almost continued unrest. Between 1962 and 1965 two more Prime Ministers were assassinated and in 1966 a military coup led by Michel Micombero overthrew the monarchy and Burundi became a republic. In 1972 an unsuccessful revolt by the Hutu against the Tutsi resulted in 100,000 deaths, most of which were Hutu as well as the death of King Mwami Ntare V.

Civil war, pitting the Tutsi-dominated army and government against Hutu guerrilla movements, has raged in Burundi since 1993, killing at least 200,000 people. As is well-known, the Belgians favored the Tutsi, having bought into the "Hamitic myth" that the Tutsi were born to rule, while the Hutu were born to farm. This "history" has been adapted by both Hutu and Tutsi nationalists to suit their own purposes.

LAKE TANGANYIKA Tanganyika Lake is the longest fresh water lake in the world and the second deepest after lake Baikal in Russia . The immense depth is because it lies in the Great Rift Valley , which also has created its steep shoreline. It reaches a depth of 1433 metres (4 700 feet), which is an astounding 642m below sea level. Burundi , the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania and Zambia share the lake.