PRESS CONFERENCE BY FOREIGN MINISTER OF BURUNDI

Press Briefing

PRESS CONFERENCE BY FOREIGN MINISTER OF BURUNDI

The Burundi Government's main concern was to reach agreement with the armed opposition to end the civil war between the army and rebel forces by 20 September, Séverin Ntahomvukiye, that country's Minister for External Relations and Cooperation, said at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.

He said the date had been set for a key meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, where the army and rebel forces would negotiate an end to hostilities on the ground even as demilitarization and demobilization details were being worked out. At least one of the two main armed groups would take part in the meeting.

Mr. Ntahomvukiye said that another major concern for Burundians was how to determine who would lead during the transition. That was being negotiated, and it was hoped that a settlement would be reached within one month after hostilities ended, in accordance with the national reconciliation agreement signed in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, on 28 August.

That accord was a political agreement that would help Burundians to promote a common front against violence despite the absence of a ceasefire, he said. Although people were reluctant to talk about peace while there was still no ceasefire, the accord could lead the population to isolate the insurgency, which no longer had a raison d'être.

In the same vein, he continued, neighbouring countries and the international community had committed themselves to isolate and even repatriate rebels in their territory if the rebellion continued. Nelson Mandela, facilitator of the Burundi peace process, continued to exert pressure on factions that had not yet signed the agreement. The deadline for signing is 13 September.

The Minister stressed that 16 out of 19 groups had now signed the agreement. Some groups had initially refused to sign because they had not been informed about last-minute compromises made by the Burundi Government and the Burundi Democratic Front, the main opposition group. Because of heavy time pressure on the negotiators, the document had not been distributed until signing time, he explained. The few remaining reservations on both sides were now being negotiated in Bujumbura.

Asked whether the Government had closed all its regroupement camps in Bujumbura, Mr. Ntahomvukiye said that had been confirmed by an internal United Nations report made available to Mr. Mandela. However, since the violence was continuing, some civilians had returned voluntarily for their own safety. The camps had been a war strategy to isolate the insurgency and allow the army to attack the rebels.

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