A year into a political crisis which has claimed about 500 lives, driven a quarter of a million into exile and prompted western donors to suspend government aid, Burundi’s economy is on the ropes, AFP reported. The central African country had only just begun to recover from a 1993-2006 ethnic-based civil war when it became sucked back into violence after President Pierre Nkurunziza announced a year ago that he would seek a third term in office. “The economy had been starting to stabilize, inflation was under control, and with average growth of around 4.5% over several years, Burundi seemed to be on the right path,” said an economics professor at Burundi University, who did not wish to be named. “But the current crisis has had catastrophic consequences, particularly on public finances” and on the business sector, he told AFP.
