The stories contained in this book represent an account of incredible acts of heroism performed by ordinary Burundians in the midst of chaos, violence and despair. Most of events recounted here took place in 1993 when a nationwide violent inter-ethnic conflict erupted. The killings that engulfed the country like a wildfire followed the assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye by the army in the first bloody coup that led to the decapitation of state institutions.

Faces and Traces is a space in which we discover these ordinary Burundians with an extraordinary heart, who left behind traces of good deeds so that we can follow in their footsteps.

This book is part of the Burundi Memory Project launched in 2018. The project has led to the production of a research report, a serialisation of the documentary film 1972 Broken Hearts, and a number of public engagements that have enriched the debate around the process of reconciliation and addressing the violence of the past in Burundi.

This Burundi Memory Project is part of the Peacebuilding Interventions Programme at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), Cape Town, South Africa.

Edited by Patrick Hajayandi
Pages: 104
Dimensions: 210 x 250mm
Date of publication: 2022
ISBN: 978-1-928332-97-8