Burundi had only 106 lawyers for a population of more than eight million people, and was declared Africa’s most corrupt country in 2010. The EC is funding the construction of courthouses and training of judges as part of their ‘good governance’ program.
In 2010 we were commissioned over several months to produce a body of work that supported and documented the work of the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) in Burundi. Working alongside experts and lawyers we produced images that catalogued a range of issues in Burundi, including human rights violations. These images were used in reports to advocate for improved conditions in key areas of the judicial system as part of the wider good governance project ‘Gutwara Neza’.
In Burundi the barriers to justice were numerous and challenging, from corruption in the police and judicial system, to capacity issues across all government services. We were specifically asked to document a selection of the programme’s areas:
- Overcrowding in rural prisons, many of which are operating at over 200% capacity.
- New courthouses being built with ECHO funding, and training of judges to increase capacity across the judicial system.
- The establishment of a de-centralised land registry, to enable people in rural areas to register land officially, disputes over land ownership are a major cause of violence within communities.
One of the images from this project was selected for the 2010 Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, leading to press national coverage and widening the awareness of these issues.
It is difficult for police officers in Burundi not to succumb to corruption when they are often not paid for months at a time. They are often demonised by the population.
This courtyard is home to several hundred prisoners. Working at 270% capacity the prison provides no shelter for the majority of its inmates. The new, EU-funded prison building will improve conditions dramatically
An unlocked door separates the male from the female prisoners in Ruyigi district prison. Privacy is unheard of, sexual abuse and rape rife. The EC is funding improvements in the prison.
A lack of separate facilities for women and children leads to the regular rape of female inmates by their male cohabitants. HIV is rife. The EC’s ‘good governance’ program is funding the construction of a new block for women and children.
Martin and Martin 