Burundi occupies an area equal to 27,830 square kilometres (10,750 sq mi) in size, of which 25,680 square kilometres (9,920 sq mi) is land. The country has 1,140 kilometres (710 mi) of land border: 236 kilometres (147 mi) of which is shared with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 315 kilometres (196 mi) with Rwanda and 589 kilometres (366 mi) with Tanzania. As a landlocked country, Burundi possesses no coastline. It straddles the crest of the Congo-Nile Divide which separates the basins of the Congo and Nile rivers. The farthest headwaters of the Nile, the Ruvyironza River, has its source in Burundi.

Burundi in general has a tropical highland climate, with a considerable daily temperature range in many areas. Temperature also varies considerably from one region to another, chiefly as a result of differences in altitude. The central plateau enjoys pleasantly cool weather, with an average temperature of 20 °C (68 °F). The area around Lake Tanganyika is warmer, averaging 23 °C (73.4 °F); the highest mountain areas are cooler, averaging 16 °C (60.8 °F). Bujumbura’s average annual temperature is 23 °C (73.4 °F). Rain is irregular, falling most heavily in the northwest. Dry seasons vary in length, and there are sometimes long periods of drought. However, four seasons can be distinguished: the long dry season (June–August), the short wet season (September–November), the short dry season (December–January), and the long wet season (February–May). Most of Burundi receives between 1,300 and 1,600 mm (51.2 and 63.0 in) of rainfall a year. The Ruzizi Plain and the northeast receive between 750 and 1,000 mm (29.5 and 39.4 in).

Burundi against corruption

Corruption is like gangrene, which affects the entirety of any state system: from the economical to the political, and through to the social and judicial aspects. In particular, judicial corruption “brings about impunity and undermines the rule of law”. In the case of Burundi, the government is aware of judicial corruption and is trying to fight the issue, even though improvements still remain to be seen. More measures should be implemented in order to remedy to the problem at hand and avert its many consequences – the main victims of this being Burundian citizens. Indeed, the latter see their freedoms being taken away when incarcerated, or their condition of life impoverished as they give away their meager resources to secure ‘protection’ through bribes. From a judicial point of view, many rights are undermined, such as the right to presumption of innocence and to an independent and impartial tribunal.

Corruption has consquences that go way beyond what we may think of, even more so when considering it from the human right’s perspective. Another important aspect to consider is the effect an  ‘endless circle’ of corruption provokes. Corruption is not an institutional problem but rather one created at the individual level. As more cases of corrupt police or courts go unreported, indeed citizens engaging with these institutions might use the phenomena of corruption to get out of trouble, therefore making the personnel corrupt, and in turn reinforcing and propagating the practice of corruption within Burundian society.