MAPPING THE POLITY-DEVELOPMENT NEXUS IN SUSTAINABLE REFUGEE REINTEGRATION: A COMPARISON OF POST-CONFLICT RWANDA AND BURUNDI

Abstract

Today, the voluntary return of refugees to their country of origin is widely perceived as the most preferred and durable solution. Yet, while voluntary repatriation is a desirable ideal – not least because most refugees themselves wish to return ‘home – ‘ the international community’s development strategies to ensure its sustainability have, all too often, been unavailing.  Specifically, and using a comparative case study approach to the return experiences in post-conflict Burundi and Rwanda, this dissertation finds that – without political will on part of the ‘home’ state and the international donors – efforts to facilitate genuine homecoming will remain inadequate. And, may inadvertently, contribute to further instability. Fundamentally, the findings underscore the urgent need that, apart from the adoption of development-led approaches, the international community should pursue comprehensive state-building activities so as to create benign post-conflict states willing to open-up public goods for all returnees.