Region: Central Africa
Issue Areas: +security/peace+
Summary Contents:
This posting contains the text of the Joint Communique of the
Regional Summit on the Burundi Conflict, and several related
updates from the UN's Integrated Regional Information Network
in Nairobi. The Summit participants decided to maintain the
existing sanctions against the Burundi regime and to ask
former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere to continue his role
as mediator.
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UNITED NATIONS
Department of Humanitarian Affairs
Integrated Regional Information Network for the Great Lakes
(UN DHA IRIN )
Tel: +254 2 622123 Fax: +254 2 622129
e-mail: irin@dha.unon.org.
These and other related documents are regularly available on
ReliefWeb (http://www.reliefweb.int)
Joint Communique of the Fifth Regional Summit on the Burundi
Conflict
1. At the invitation of President Benjamin William Mkapa of
the United Republic of Tanzania, Presidents Robert Mugabe of
Zimbabwe and current Chairman of the Organization of African
Unity (OAU); Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Pasteur Bizimungu of
Rwanda, Laurent-Desire Kabila of the Democratic Republic of
Congo; Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia and Brigadier
General Godfrey Miyanda, Vice President, representing
President Frederick Chiluba of the Republic of Zambia met on
3rd and 4th September, 1997 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and
deliberated on the conflict in Burundi.
2. Also participating in the Regional Summit were the Foreign
Minister of Kenya, Hon. S. Kalonzo Musyoka, representing
President Daniel T. arap Moi of the Republic of Kenya, the OAU
Secretary General, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim and the Facilitator
of the Burundi Peace Process, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.
3. The Regional Summit received a comprehensive report from
the Facilitator of the Peace Process, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere
on his efforts to facilitate a negotiated settlement to the
conflict in Burundi including his recent endeavours to convene
on 25th August, 1997 in Arusha, Tanzania, a meeting of all
parties to the conflict.
4. The Regional Summit expressed its regret that inspite of
all these efforts, there has been no progress in the
negotiation process. It expressed, in particular, its
disappointment over the refusal of the Government of Burundi
to take part in the first session of all party negotiations in
Arusha.
5. The Regional Summit recalled the previous decisions taken
in Arusha I, II, III and IV Regional Summits. The Summit
reaffirmed that the objective of the negotiations is to
achieve a new dispensation based on the principles of
democracy and security for all. In this respect, it is
expected that the negotiating parties will come up with
transitional mechanisms towards the attainment of this
ultimate objective.
6. The Regional Summit decided to maintain the existing
sanctions and to ensure their scrupulous application. In this
regard, the Summit decided to create a Special Secretariat
comprising representatives of all the participating countries
working under the Regional Sanctions Co-ordinating Committee,
to monitor compliance by all the participating countries.
7. The Regional Summit was informed of Mwalimu Julius
Nyerere's position to step aside as Facilitator of the Burundi
Peace Process. The Summit was firmly of the view that the
continued role of Mwalimu is crucial for a negotiated
settlement of the conflict in Burundi. It reaffirmed its
confidence in the Facilitator and urged him to continue.
8. The Regional Summit also discussed the issue of the venue
of the All - Party Talks. It took note of the position of the
President of the United Republic of Tanzania, not to host the
Talks. The leaders nonetheless insisted that the next round of
Talks be held in Arusha. The Summit urged all the parties,
including the Burundi Government to take part in those Talks,
which will be convened by the Facilitator, Mwalimu Julius
Nyerere. In order to create a propitious climate for the
talks, the Summit called upon the Burundi Government to halt
the trials it is currently conducting until such time that a
negotiated solution is in place to deal with such crimes; to
release unconditionally the Speaker of the National Assembly,
Leonce Ngendakumana, the former President Sylivestre
Ntibantunganya and the former President Jean Baptiste Bagaza
to travel freely and participate in the talks; and, to
immediately disband the regroupment camps.
9. The Regional Summit reaffirmed its determination and
commitment to promote a negotiated settlement in Burundi and
to fully back the efforts of the Facilitator in this
direction. The Summit further declared its preparedness to
adopt additional measures to deal with any obstruction to the
negotiation process.
10. The Regional Summit appealed to all OAU member States, the
United Nations and the rest of the international community to
actively support the peace process in Burundi.
11. The Regional Summit requested President Yoweri Museveni of
Uganda to convey to the Government of Burundi the spirit and
content of this Summit.
12. The Fifth Regional Summit expressed its appreciation to
President Benjamin William Mkapa for once again hosting the
Regional Summit on the conflict in Burundi and to the
Government and the people of the United Republic of Tanzania
for the warm reception and hospitality extended to all
delegations.
DONE AT DAR ES SALAAM, ON 4TH SEPTEMBER, 1997.
[Transcribed verbatim by UN DHA IRIN. Via the UN DHA
Integrated Regional Information Network "Wire" mailing list.
The material contained in this communication may not
necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its
agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this
item, please retain this credit and disclaimer.]
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IRIN Weekly Roundup 20-97 of Main Events in the Great Lakes
region, covering the period 29 Aug-4 September 1997 (excerpt)
BURUNDI: Regional summit decides to keep sanctions
Regional leaders, who met in the Tanzanian capital Dar es
Salaam on Thursday to discuss the crisis in Burundi, decided
to maintain economic sanctions against the country and
rejected the offer of mediator Julius Nyerere to stand down.
Burundi had accused Nyerere of a lack of neutrality and bias
against the government. Nyerere offered to stand aside if it
would help the peace process, but said his place would have to
be taken by regional countries and the international
community. Burundian head of state Pierre Buyoya was not
invited to the Dar es Salaam meeting which grouped the leaders
of Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) and Zambia. Joint OAU-UN Special Representative for the
Great Lakes region Mohamed Sahnoun and OAU Secretary-General
Salim Ahmed Salim were also present. Kenyan President Daniel
arap Moi boycotted the meeting, accusing regional countries of
demanding tough measures against Burundi which they then
failed to enforce.
The Burundi government meanwhile proposed holding peace talks
on September 29 but stressed they should not take place in
Tanzania. All-party talks, under the mediation of Nyerere,
collapsed last month after the Burundi authorities declined to
attend the meeting in Arusha.
The collapse of the fragile peace process in Burundi coincided
with increased tension on its border with Tanzania. Burundi
maintains Tanzania is harbouring Hutu rebels, while Tanzania
counters that Bujumbura is planning to stage cross-border
military strikes on refugee camps. On Monday, Burundian Energy
and Mines Minister Bernard Barandereka claimed Tanzania was
trying to "annex" Burundi by allowing Burundian rebels to
maintain bases on its territory.
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IRIN Emergency Update No. 245 on the Great Lakes
(Wednesday 10 September 1997) (excerpt)
* UGANDA: Museveni explains decision to keep Burundi embargo
President Yoweri Museveni explained that regional leaders
decided to maintain sanctions on Burundi until the parties
involved created a mechanism to ensure democracy and security
for all Burundians. Ugandan radio said he called for an end to
the "current mentality among the majority Hutus that they can
be in power through the elimination of the minority Tutsis,
while the Tutsis think they can remain in power through force
and denial of democracy". He made the comments yesterday
during talks with the EU envoy to Uganda.
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IRIN Emergency Update No. 249 on the Great Lakes
(Tuesday, 16 September 97) (excerpt)
BURUNDI: Grenade blast kills three, injures 17
A grenade attack on a bar near the capital Bujumbura killed
three people and wounded 17 others, Reuters reported an army
spokesman as saying. "A grenade was launched into a bar at
8.40 p.m. in Gatumba," Major Mamert Sinarinzi was quoted as
saying. It was not clear who was behind the attack.
Tutsi party begins lawsuit against regime
The mainly Tutsi party which once held sole power in Burundi
has begun legal action against the regime of Major Pierre
Buyoya over potential talks with Hutu rebels, its leader said.
AFP reported the court challenge was disclosed as Hutu
extremists killed seven people, wounded 13 and kidnapped three
others overnight in an attack on a displaced persons' camp in
southwestern Burundi, according to the Tutsi-dominated army.
Charles Mukasi, chairman of Unity for National Progress
(UPRONA), late on Monday told AFP that his party had opened a
suit against Interior Minister Epitace Bayaganakandi for
"abuse of office and interference in UPRONA's management". He
has accused Lieutenant-Colonel Bayaganakandi of working on
behalf of Buyoya's regime in seeking to break up UPRONA "to
give the impression that everybody is in favour of
negotiations" with extremist rebels waging a guerrilla war
against the government.
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IRIN Emergency Update No. 252 on the Great Lakes
(Friday, 19 September 97) (excerpts)
BURUNDI: UPRONA leader arrested
Burundi President Pierre Buyoya told Reuters today (Friday)
that he was ready to negotiate with Hutu rebel leader Leonard
Nyangoma's Conseil National pour la Defence de la democratie
(CNDD). "Our wish is to talk to everybody, every group
including Nyangoma's," he said. His comments follow the arrest
yesterday of the head of the mainly Tutsi party Union pour le
Progress National (UPRONA), Charles Mukasi, as he held a press
conference condemning the negotiations policy. The government
said Mukasi was detained because he flouted a ban on the
briefing, news agencies reported. Mukasi was released later on
Thursday.
A serious split has opened in UPRONA, formerly Burundi's sole
party. One wing is in Buyoya's government and favours
negotiations with the rebels in principle, while Mukasi's
faction is hostile to any talks with those seen as "genocidal
killers" opposed to any power-sharing with Tutsis, AFP said.
The government has agreed to participate in all-party peace
negotiations to be held in Arusha, Tanzania, under the
mediation of Tanzanian elder statesman Julius Nyerere. A date
has not yet been fixed. On Monday, Mukasi said he had begun
legal action to block dialogue with CNDD.
Buyoya had boycotted talks in Arusha last month in protest
over Nyerere's alleged bias and Tanzania's alleged support for
Hutu rebels. A local source said Buyoya, under intense
regional pressure to resume the peace process, would use the
talks as a forum to present the government's case against
Nyerere and Tanzania, "and to buy time". According to AFP,
Tanzanian President Benjamin Mpaka said yesterday that Buyoya
is "not confident of his position. That is why he has been
making unsubstantiated accusations."
Displaced flee to Bubanza
Insecurity continues to plague Burundi's northern Bubanza
province, humanitarian sources report. The widespread use of
land mines has made "access to many areas impossible."
Nevertheless, people from northwestern Cibitoke, displaced by
fighting between rival Hutu rebel groups Phalipehutu and CNDD
continue to spill into the province. More than 30,000
displaced have gathered in and around the town of Bubanza.
Kayanza province to the east is also receiving a stream of
people escaping the violence.
Meanwhile, although the governor of Kayanza has suspended the
return of regrouped people because of security concerns, the
process is still going ahead in Maramvya province, northeast
of Bujumbura.
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