Burundi is a landlocked African country that is bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Burundi has been ruled by kings since the 16th century, even while under control by different European empires. Burundi officially declared its independence in July 1962 and established a constitutional monarchy. However, the nation also has been plagued by political and ethnic strife similar to its neighbor Rwanda. Insurgency and civil war have erupted since the nation's founding, and although the new nation tried to balance rule between the rival ethnic groups, Hutu and Tutsis, they never achieved a peaceful balance. In the 1960s, in response to the Hutu insurgency in Rwanda that killed many Tutsi, Burundi Tutsi seized control of the military and police. In ...