(Post)Colonial Cattle Frontiers
(Post)Colonial Cattle Frontiers:
Capitalism, Science and Empire
in Southern and Central Africa
(Post)Colonial Cattle Frontiers

Researching Animal Trypanosomiasis in Bujumbura

06 October 2026

Researching Animal Trypanosomiasis in Bujumbura 

Zarah Cleve (PhD candidate, CATTLEFRONTIERS Project)

As part of my research on the history of African animal trypanosomiasis and veterinary science more generally during the colonial and early post-colonial periods, I spent a few weeks in Bujumbura, Burundi, in August 2026.

 

At the National Archives:

The National Archives in Bujumbura are located in the basement of a building complex housing, among other things, multiple ministries (such as the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism and the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Employment) near the centre of the city. In the consultation room I was immediately met by a friendly member of staff named Dora who helped me with finding the documents I was looking for. I also had the chance to speak to Emmanuel, the director of the archives, who pointed me towards other places where I may be able to find relevant documents.

(Post)Colonial Cattle Frontiers

During my time at the archives, I focused particularly on documents from the post-colonial period. Among the most interesting materials I found were Bulletins Vétérinaires from different areas of Burundi, which contain information on the number of reported cases of animal trypanosomiasis. Other documents provided information on the geographical distribution of the disease, its impact on the economy, and the various efforts to control or eliminate it. They also highlighted some of the practical difficulties involved in disease control, particularly the constraints created by limited budgets.

(Post)Colonial Cattle Frontiers

At the University Library:

I also spent a considerable amount of time at the library of the Université du Burundi, where I consulted both books and reports available on the shelves, as well as master’s theses written by students at the university. These theses proved to be a particularly interesting source. I came across studies on the use of local plants to treat animal diseases, the history and activities of an animal research station near Mahwa, and the overall health situation of bovines in Burundi. The research station near Mahwa is especially interesting for me, as it was first started in the late 1940s by INEAC (Institut National pour l’Etude Agronomique du Congo Belge) with the objective to improve the cattle herd and has continued to operate with this goal since then, now as part of the Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi.

(Post)Colonial Cattle Frontiers

Two master’s theses that were especially pertinent to my research were one titled Contribution à l’étude de l’usage des plantes dans la médecine vétérinaire traditionnelle au Burundi, cas de la commune Burambi, province Bururi from 2010, by Thaddée Bigirimana, as well as Le Cheptel Bovin au Burundi: Son état sanitaire, sa thérapeutique traditionnelle et l’intervention coloniale (Fin XIX siècle – 1962) from 1990, by Dismas Ntiyanogeye.

(Post)Colonial Cattle Frontiers

Looking Ahead:

My two weeks in Bujumbura gave me the opportunity to discover a wealth of sources and to meet many people who assisted me with my research (I would especially like to thank Lambert Hakuziyaremye and Professor Jean-Marie Nduwayo for all their support). At the same time, this trip only gave me a glimpse of what Burundi has to offer for my research. I am already looking forward to returning and visiting more places, including Gitega, where a large part of the veterinary department of the university is located, and the research station at Mahwa, as well as speaking to more people and learning more about the country, its history, and, of course, its cattle.