Burundi, 1994

It is an honour and a privilege for me to address

the Members of this Organization. In doing so, I convey

the greetings of the President of the Republic of Burundi,

His Excellency Mr. Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, and of the

Government and people of Burundi, as well as their good

wishes for every success at this session of the General

Assembly.

I should like also to greet and congratulate His

Excellency Mr. Amara Essy, Minister for Foreign Affairs

of Côte d’Ivoire, on his unanimous election to preside

over the General Assembly’s work at this session.

Your statesmanlike qualities, developed in the course

of a long and rich career as a diplomat, augur well for

great success at this forty-ninth session of the General

Assembly. Through your impressive election, the General

Assembly has once again paid tribute to Africa and to

your country, so committed to peace and international

cooperation. I assure you that my delegation will give

you every support as you strive to fulfil your mandate.

My congratulations also go to the other members of

the Bureau, who, I feel sure, will spare no effort in their

practical support for you in the successful

accomplishment of your heavy responsibilities.

I should also like warmly to congratulate your

predecessor, Mr. Samuel Insanally of the Republic of

Guyana, who, as President at the forty-eighth session,

guided the work of the Assembly masterfully and with

exemplary commitment.

Lastly, we pay a warm tribute to Mr. Boutros

Boutros-Ghali, Secretary-General of the United Nations,

for all the activities he has initiated in order to cope with

the many challenges and enormous difficulties facing our

Organization today. We believe that these obstacles are

not insurmountable provided that there is honest

commitment and solidarity on the part of the international

community. Thanks to the resolve and perseverance of

this Organization, which mobilized the Member States

against apartheid, peace and democracy have now

triumphed in South Africa. The people and the

Government of Burundi have already welcomed this well-

deserved victory of the valiant South African people, who

have thus resumed their place in the concert of nations.

The current session of the General Assembly is

being held at a time of many serious and unexpected

events. There have been natural disasters throughout the

world: famine, civil war, terrorism and other scourges of

modern times, such as religious fundamentalism and the

re-emergence of exclusionary movements, associations or

14

political parties, all bearing within them the seeds of

division.

A year ago, from this very rostrum, the late President

Melchior Ndadaye conveyed to this Assembly a message of

peace, friendship, brotherhood and solidarity. This occurred

just after the pluralist elections of June 1993, which the

entire world had found to be free and transparent. Then, on

21 October 1993, President Ndadaye was assassinated in a

rash and senseless act that plunged Burundi into desolation,

division and political and ethnic massacres, and sorely

tested the hard-won democracy. Since that fateful day,

Burundi has suffered a serious political, institutional, social

and economic crisis, the repercussions of which are still

being felt today. We all recall the unbearable images

broadcast by the international media.

Let us further recall that the successor to President

Ndadaye, Mr. Cyprien Ntaryamira, died tragically in an

airplane accident in Kigali on 6 April 1994, which also

took the life of the Rwandese Head of State. Misfortunes

never come singly; Burundi had the terrible shock of losing

two Presidents in less than six months. This situation has

profoundly traumatized the people of Burundi. Some

wondered if Burundi would be able to avoid the human

cataclysm recently experienced by its neighbour Rwanda.

Indeed, the institutional crisis that resulted from the vacuum

of power, and the various manifestations of violence that

followed, crystallized latent antagonisms, exacerbated latent

ethnic divisions and created an atmosphere of suspicion and

intolerance that was prejudicial to peace.

Despite the dark picture I have just painted, the people

of Burundi has not succumbed to despair. Indeed, the

registered political parties and the representatives of civil

society have met in a negotiating forum and begun in-depth

discussions with a view to finding ways and means of

ensuring a swift return to peace, security, trust and socio-

economic and political stability in the country.

The lengthy discussions which began after the death

of President Cyprien Ntaryamira last April recently led to

the signing on 10 September 1994 of a government

convention. This document is a basis for the

reestablishment of State institutions and organs of State and

of various legal and political mechanisms which will restore

trust and cooperation between the political partners. The

successful outcome of these lengthy negotiations has

allowed the people of Burundi to heave a sigh of relief.

The people had begun to tire and above all to question the

good faith of politicians who, as far as the people could

see, were more concerned with their own selfish interests

than in peace and the development for one and all.

We take this opportunity to thank the international

community for the role it has played in encouraging the

people of Burundi to pursue national dialogue and

cooperation. We are particularly grateful to the United

Nations and the Organization of African Unity for the

decisive role they played in ensuring the successful

outcome of the negotiations. The Special Representatives

of the Secretaries-General of these organizations,

Ambassadors Ahmedou Ould Abdallah and Léandre

Bassole respectively, participated at every stage of the

negotiations we have just concluded. We welcome the

progress made together through this preventive diplomacy.

We believe that the choice of a consensus President,

Mr. Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, the consensus nomination

of a Prime Minister from the opposition, and the

formation of a coalition Government are all factors

conducive to restoring security and confidence among the

various elements of Burundi society and to promoting the

return of displaced persons and refugees to their homes in

the hills. They are also very important in encouraging

reconstruction and the economic recovery of the country.

The new national coalition government that arose

from the consensus reached in the negotiations between

the political partners has, as its main tasks, the

reconstruction of the economic and social infrastructures

that were partly or totally demolished, the campaign

against a general sense of impunity, and the establishment

of conditions guaranteeing the safety and peace of all in

Burundi. The tasks ahead are enormous and cannot be

carried out without the solidarity and assistance of the

international community on a bilateral and/or multilateral

basis.

We also take this opportunity to recall the request

made by the Government of Burundi for the organization

of a neutral international inquiry to establish responsibility

for the October 1993 putsch and the ensuing massacres.

The international community has always stood by us in

times of anguish and we feel sure that it will continue to

support our efforts by providing emergency special

assistance for economic recovery and reconstruction.

We also reiterate our appeal to the United Nations

and friendly countries to continue to support the

proponents of peace and progress in Burundi and to

discourage and condemn all those at home and abroad

who may be tempted to use violence to resolve the

15

problems we are experiencing. Today silence means

complicity and is criminal.

Lasting solutions to Burundi’s political problems can

be found only if they are dealt with in a subregional

context. For some years now we have been witnessing

forced movements of populations following violence

perpetrated in some countries of our subregion. These

movements, often out of control, are a threat to peace and

stability throughout the Great Lakes region.

No one can fail to see that the tragedy of Rwanda has

shocked human conscience at the subregional, regional and

international levels. It is shameful not only for those

behind genocide, or those who have committed it, but also

for mankind as a whole, which has not been able to rush to

the aid of a people in peril. My country hopes that those

guilty of this crime against humanity will be brought to

justice and receive the punishment they deserve. We

encourage the Government of Rwanda to continue its policy

of reconciliation and to do its utmost to ensure that all

Rwandese refugees can return to their homeland.

The crisis in Rwanda has had most regrettable

consequences for neighbouring States - above all for

Burundi, which has ethnic, linguistic and cultural

similarities to Rwanda. The Rwandese tragedy has had

political, security, economic, humanitarian and

environmental consequences. We need not go into details,

because the whole world saw on television the human tide

flee fighting to take refuge in neighbouring countries, such

as Burundi, Tanzania and Zaire. The refugee problem has

been acute in our subregion since the 1960s. As the

Assembly knows, it is both a humanitarian and a political

problem. It causes discord between neighbouring States

and has engendered mistrust between them. Some see

refugees as an economic and social burden, while others

consider them a threat to their security.

For these reasons, we propose that an international

conference on peace, stability and development in the

African Great Lakes subregion be organized as soon as

possible. In the short term, it is a matter of resolving the

refugee problem. In the medium term, inter-State

mechanisms should be established to safeguard peace,

bolster stability and promote socio-economic development.

Such a conference could pave the way for the creation of

a more viable economic community combining existing

organizations, such as the Economic Community of the

Great Lakes Countries and the Kagera River Basin

Organization and adapting them better to the realities of our

subregion. We believe such a conference would help

integrate our States, which share an almost identical

history, the same geographical space and, above all, an

ability to communicate through common languages. My

delegation is willing to make specific proposals on this

matter.

Next year the United Nations will celebrate half a

century of existence. In 50 years the Organization has

accomplished a great many tasks. It has overcome many

obstacles, survived the cold war and contributed to the

advent of international détente. Its specialized agencies

have assisted millions of people in distress. The

Organization has always committed itself to actions to

maintain international peace and security. It has been

able to foster friendly relations between nations based on

respect for the principle of equal rights of peoples and

their right to self-determination. The United Nations has

contributed to dialogue between the peoples and States of

the world by encouraging relations of cooperation and

solidarity.

None the less, the Organization, like any human

enterprise, is far from perfect. Despite efforts to settle

armed conflicts, we must note that the brinksmanship and

intransigence of certain belligerents diminish hopes for

peace.

In Africa, the conflicts in Somalia, Angola and

Liberia seem to go on for ever, notwithstanding the

efforts of the United Nations to resolve them.

With regard to the crisis in Somalia, we know it was

the massive intervention of the Blue Helmets that led the

parties involved to the negotiating table. The operation

inspired some hope that the people of Somalia would

achieve reconciliation. Unfortunately, the conflict

continues. Burundi believes the United Nations should

continue this operation, using all the means authorized by

the Charter. At the same time, we call on the parties

involved to settle their differences peacefully and to lend

every possible assistance to any mediation effort.

As to Angola, the political and military situation has

continued to deteriorate, with an escalation of the fighting

and greater mistrust between the belligerents. While

welcoming the resumption of the negotiating process

between the Government of Angola and UNITA, my

State wishes to repeat its appeal for a cessation of the

hostilities that have brought so much suffering to the

people of Angola.

16

In Liberia, peace has not yet been restored. There has

been delay in full implementation of the Cotonou

Agreement - signed on 25 July 1993 by the Interim

Government of National Unity, the National Patriotic Front

of Liberia (NPFL) and the United Liberation Movement of

Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO), under the auspices of the

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),

the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity -

aimed at finding a peaceful settlement to the conflict. The

Republic of Burundi pays tribute to the efforts made by

ECOWAS and the United Nations to bring about a peaceful

settlement of that conflict, which continues to bring such

grief to the people of Liberia.

We also support the United Nations peace plan for

Western Sahara, which involves a referendum to allow the

Saharan people to choose their own destiny.

Africa is today the scene of the largest number of

armed conflicts in the world. This political instability

means we cannot tackle development in our countries,

despite the vast natural resources of our continent. We

believe it is high time Africans stopped blaming their

misfortunes on outside factors. We firmly believe that

Africa must shoulder its responsibilities and define the

main lines of its development in accordance with its

realities. We must respect our identity while accepting any

positive contribution from outside. Burundi has no doubt

the time will come when Africa will show its capacity for

self-improvement and that it will be able to contribute more

to the well-being of mankind. In other words, through the

democratic reforms now under way, our continent, which is

currently undergoing a period of upheaval, will attain the

freedom and development it so desires.

My country welcomes the new era opening up in the

Middle East. The peoples of that region are finally going

to be able to work together for peace, security and

development. We pay tribute to all the countries and

institutions that contributed to the mediation efforts and

encourage them to continue their diplomatic efforts with a

view to a final and irreversible settlement of that conflict,

which has lasted far too long.

The situation in the Balkans is also a matter of

concern. Work must continue to reconcile the positions of

the various parties. War does not resolve problems of

coexistence and good-neighborliness between peoples.

On the Korean peninsula, we wish for the voluntary

and peaceful reunification of Korea. We also encourage

continued negotiations between the Democratic People’s

Republic of Korea and the United States of America, in

the hope that they will remove all uncertainties with

regard to the nuclear problem.

As the Secretary-General pointed out so aptly in "An

Agenda for Development", there can be no peace without

development. And the 1994 World Human Development

Report also states:

"The absence of peace can indeed hinder

development; but without development, peace is

threatened."

Development requires international cooperation and

assistance from other States. The Charter sets as one of

the purposes of the United Nations:

"to achieve international cooperation in solving

international problems of an economic, social,

cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting

and encouraging respect for human rights and for

fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as

to race, sex, language, or religion".

Problems arising from the maintenance of peace and

security and those of a humanitarian character,

particularly after the cold war, have led the Organization

to extend its operations to the four corners of the Earth.

Some observers even fear that development activities will

be neglected so long as urgent and immediate needs

monopolize the Organization. Some go so far as to say

that the discussion on development should be shifted from

the General Assembly to other, better equipped

institutions.

In Burundi, we consider that development, and the

related problems and needs, must also be one of the

priorities of the United Nations. There can be no better

place than the General Assembly to deal with problems as

global and interconnected as poverty, debt, the

environment, development assistance and other equally

thorny world-wide issues.

On the matter of combating poverty and other social

problems, Burundi places great hope in the upcoming

World Summit for Social Development, where it intends

to be represented at the appropriate level. Our delegation

will spare no effort to ensure that the declaration to be

adopted at the Copenhagen Summit will correctly reflect

the concerns of poor peoples.

17

The external debt problem of the developing countries

is also a crisis, and it must be dealt with more innovatively

than it has been in the past. Many strategies have been

adopted to resolve the problem. Specific actions have been

taken by creditors to restructure commercial debt and in

some cases to cancel bilateral debt. But as the Secretary-

General has pointed out, to date, the efforts made to lighten

the burden of multilateral debt have been far from

satisfactory.

The subject of multilateral debt should thus also be

carefully studied. My country hopes that the discussion to

be held on the agenda item on debt will result in

conclusions that can lighten the burden of multilateral debt,

particularly with regard to the fragile economies of the least

developed countries.

The current situation regarding trade relations is

extremely disturbing. The industrialized countries are

erecting major barriers to the importation of certain

products from developing countries. At the same time,

however, the latter countries, under the effect of

liberalization policies, are opening wide their doors to

foreign competition.

According to the most reliable sources, the damage

done to developing countries exceeds the amount of aid

allotted to them; however, should the rich countries

eliminate all obstacles to the importation of products from

the third world, the increase in exports from developing

countries would equal twice the aid granted to these

countries.

The conclusion of the Uruguay Round and the creation

of the World Trade Organization augur well for a more

orderly and equitable system of world trade. We maintain

the hope that accompanying measures will be taken to

avoid the marginalization of developing countries in the

multilateral trade system. We are thinking, in particular, of

the least developed countries which run the risk of being

poor relations within the new World Trade Organization.

For some years, the international community has been

aware of the non-sustainable nature of the development and

consumption patterns followed thus far, without concern for

the protection of the environment.

As the Secretary-General emphasizes in "An Agenda

for Development", the environment, like peace, the

economy, society and democracy, permeates all aspects of

development. In the last few years, the General Assembly

has seriously taken up the issues of environment and

development. The Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, in

June 1992, gave birth to international legal instruments

which, if implemented, will ensure a better environment

and more harmonious development for the Earth and its

inhabitants. My country, Burundi, has already signed

these instruments, and it will soon ratify them.

Burundi has been closely following the discussion

that has been under way for some time at the United

Nations with a view to reforming and improving the

working methods of the Security Council. The ideas put

forward are quite diverse. We earnestly hope that this

discussion will lead to a solution that will preserve the

effectiveness of the Security Council while allowing the

developing countries to have their voices heard within

that body.

If the democratic reforms desired by our peoples are

to be lasting and irreversible, there must be support from

the international community, for democracy against a

backdrop of social crisis, unemployment, or poverty,

could prove illusory. My country places great hope in the

United Nations, which alone can contribute to solving

mankind’s current problems, such as those of population,

the environment, economic and social development and

health, particularly at a time when certain countries of the

world are shaken by endemic illnesses. We cannot pass

over in silence the scourge of our time - AIDS. The

international community must pool its efforts to suppress

this scourge.

We express the hope that the United Nations will

continue to pursue the ideals and purposes contained in its

Charter. May international relations become more

democratic, and a new, more just and equitable, political

and economic order emerge.

We also hope that, as this century draws to a close,

our Organization will be able to achieve tangible results,

particularly in removing the spectres of hunger, poverty

and war.

We all aspire to peace, justice and freedom. In our

endeavours, we must succeed in achieving them, in order

to give future generations the opportunity to live in a

better world.