Burundi, 1997

On behalf of the delegation of Burundi, which we

have the distinguished honour to lead in the work of this

session of the General Assembly, and on our own behalf,

allow us first and foremost to extend the friendly

greetings of the President of the Republic of Burundi,

Mr. Pierre Buyoya, as well as those of the Government

and all the people of Burundi.

The delegation of Burundi is delighted at the

unanimous choice of the President of the fifty-second

session of the General Assembly. His lofty, moral and

intellectual qualities, his long and rich diplomatic

experience and his in-depth knowledge of the current

concerns of the planet no doubt augur well for a ringing

success in his term of office. Our country offers him its

full support.

At the same time, we would like to extend our

sincere congratulations to his predecessor, Ambassador

Razali Ismail of Malaysia, who so brilliantly conducted

the work of the fifty-first session of the General

Assembly.

We would also like to pay enthusiastic tribute to

Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations,

for his continuing tireless efforts to promote the ideals of

this world Organization.

Thanks to the institutions and bodies of the United

Nations system, millions of refugees and persons

displaced or scattered in the wake of internal conflicts,

national disasters and other emergency situations have

benefited from substantial humanitarian assistance,

particularly in Africa. The Great Lakes region has

received special attention in this regard.

Aside from peacekeeping and humanitarian relief

operations on the African continent, it is important to

underscore and welcome the United Nations System-wide

Special Initiative on Africa. I would like to take this

opportunity to launch an appeal to all our bilateral and

multilateral partners to mobilize the necessary resources

for the financing of this Initiative, whose fundamental

importance for the development of Africa is obvious.

For four years Burundi has been going through an

unprecedented crisis that has been marked by numerous

crimes and acts of genocide. Aside from the blind

extermination of hundreds of thousands of human lives,

armed groups have attacked the economic, health,

educational and administrative infrastructures of the

country. In short, the political change that occurred on 25

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July 1996 took place just in time to save the country from

genocide and nightmare.

Contrary to what a certain sector of international

public opinion would have us believe, the vast majority of

the population of Burundi welcomed the new direction of

the country with great enthusiasm and relief. New hope was

born with this change of political regime.

The results in the area of security were immediate.

Aside from certain areas of insecurity related to sporadic

attacks by armed groups, peace and security have returned

to almost the entire national territory. But the population

remains vigilant because terrorist bands have not yet

disarmed. Essentially, they use the territory of Tanzania to

launch massacres against women, children, men and the

elderly.

These repeated attacks are at the source of the

displacement and regrouping of populations. The

Government has never decreed any regroupment policy.

While the camps of displaced persons have not attracted

particular attention, the so-called regroupment camps have

stirred controversy in certain circles of international opinion

that have been exploited and misinformed by terrorist

groups such as the National Council for the Defence of

Democracy (CNDD).

Today these centres of the dispossessed are gradually

being closed. Day by day, people who have been displaced

or regrouped are returning to their villages of origin when

security conditions permit. A recent report indicates that in

less than a month there will practically be no regrouped

persons in the country’s central provinces, which were the

most affected.

We must, however, recognize that problems persist. At

the humanitarian level the afflicted people live in deplorable

conditions. Overcrowding, lack of sanitation, malnutrition,

lack of health care and all sorts of epidemics are the daily

plight of the dispossessed.

My Government wishes to place on record its real

appreciation for all the support of our bilateral and

multilateral partners to relieve the misery of these deprived

populations. We appeal again to the international

community to increase humanitarian assistance to the

afflicted populations in order to meet their food, health and

clothing needs. In order to ensure the reintegration of the

victims, the Government appeals for assistance for

reconstruction and economic recovery.

In the context of its vast social reintegration effort,

the Government of Burundi invites all Burundi refugees,

wherever they may be, to return voluntarily to their

country. It is prepared to welcome them with open arms

and in conditions of complete security and dignity. I

would like to take this opportunity to request the

assistance of neighbouring countries, in particular

Tanzania, as well as of international organizations such as

the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Refugees, to facilitate the return of our exiled brothers. In

the past year more than 160,000 Burundi refugees have

voluntarily returned to their home provinces.

Since the political changes of 25 July 1996, the

principal objectives of the Government of the Republic of

Burundi have been to ward off the spectre of genocide, to

restore State authority, to organize a peace process based

on dialogue, to reintegrate afflicted people, to rebuild and

revitalize the economy and to democratize institutions.

At present the great majority of the Burundi

population is determined to work to restore peace. This is

why the widespread genocide that was foreseen, and

began, has been contained and stopped. I can today affirm

in all certainty that this danger has been averted. To the

dismay of certain prophets of doom and apocalypse, the

Burundi nation has not fallen apart either. The peace

process under way in Burundi is aimed precisely at laying

the foundation for a lasting peace.

Since the beginning of this year the Government has

initiated throughout the country a series of workshops in

preparation for a genuine national debate, with the goal of

leading the Burundi people to discuss frankly all the

country’s problems. The governmental team is now

engaged in speeding up the peace process, and several

initiative have been taken in this regard. A round table

bringing together all the internal actors has just taken

place in the centre of the country. It is in this context as

well that the Burundi peace conference, originally planned

to take place in Geneva under the auspices of the United

Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO) from 30 June to 2 July 1997 was held at

UNESCO headquarters from 26 to 28 September 1997.

Some 50 Burundi political actors, along with about 30

international observers, took part in those meetings.

That conference was designed to involve all the

Burundi people, at home and abroad, in political dialogue,

taking into account different political and socio-

professional leanings. Even those who chose the route of

violence participated in that forum in great numbers. That

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event thus marks an important step in the Burundi peace

process.

Despite the visible difficulties, the Government of

Burundi is determined to negotiate with the various actors

in Burundi — including the armed factions — without

exception. Thus, the phase of the peace negotiations that

could not be held in Arusha on 25 August 1997 as

originally planned — as a result of difficulties connected to

the mediation arrangements — are going to be resumed

very shortly. Consultations are under way on this matter,

and, true to its programme, the Government will participate.

In this context, I would like to recall that my

Government asked for a postponement of the 25 August

1997 meeting only so that it could better consult with its

partners, improve the mediation arrangements and find a

location more amenable to dialogue, outside of Tanzania.

After that postponement the President of the United

Republic of Tanzania called for a summit of the Heads of

State of the region in Dar es Salaam, which was held on 3

and 4 September 1997.

The Government of the Republic of Burundi, which

was not invited, expresses its regret that it had no role in

that summit. It considers that at these meetings devoted

entirely to the Burundi conflict its presence is indispensable

so that it can provide information and explanations that will

enlighten the Heads of State of the region, in the interest of

peace in Burundi.

The Burundi peace process must involve dialogue and

negotiation among the Burundi people. At the conclusion of

the talks, a negotiated transitional government will be put

in place to lead the country in the direction pointed by the

Burundi people themselves. The ultimate objective is to put

in place democratic institutions that all can trust.

The Government of the Republic of Burundi again

expresses its concern regarding the mediation arrangements

and the host country for the mediation. No process can lead

to peace in Burundi if it is not developed in cooperation

with the Burundi people and carried out with their complete

agreement. It is thus imperative that there be greater

consultations between the mediator and the Burundi people

— in particular with the Government that is charged with

leading the country and that has the weighty responsibility

of extracting it from crisis.

To increase the confidence of all the parties in the

mediation and to follow the universally recognized rules for

such undertakings, the Government of the Republic of

Burundi believes that the mediator must be supported by

other personalities and by experts in the techniques of

conflict resolution — people who have no personal stake

in the Burundi problem.

The Burundi peace process will remain stalled, if

Tanzania — the mediating country, the host country of

the mediation — having taken over the Burundi Embassy

in Dar es Salaam, continues to play the triple role of host

country for the armed factions responsible for the

genocide in Burundi, promoter of sanctions against

Burundi and overweening mediator.

The objection of the Government of the Republic of

Burundi to the holding of the talks in Tanzania is thus

easily understood. It is based essentially on the tension

that has been created by the refugee camps that Tanzania

has set up all along its border with Burundi. Many of

them are armed, and from them deadly raids are regularly

launched on Burundi territory. This tension has been

exacerbated by the hostile campaign waged by the

Tanzanian authorities in several African capitals precisely

on the eve of the opening of the talks, originally set to

take place in Arusha on 25 August 1997.

Further, the Government of the Republic of Burundi

does not understand why the fifth summit of the Heads of

the State of the region requested it to halt the process

now under way. Such a halt would unleash disorder and

public insecurity in the country. No Burundi citizen would

be able to understand how the judicial system could

punish minor infractions while at the same time it was

unable to try cases of political assassination and acts of

genocide. The halting of legal proceedings under way and

scheduled is thus unacceptable. The ideal is to assure

each defendant a just and fair trial in which the right to

a defence is guaranteed. The Government has already

made a commitment to do all it can to that end, and we

thank the United Nations for its assistance in this area.

In this regard, the establishment of an international

criminal tribunal for Burundi, which the Government of

Burundi has requested of the United Nations, is now

urgently needed, both to combat impunity and to give the

peace process now under way a chance. Under no pretext

whatsoever should any criminal, nor anyone responsible

for genocide, be shielded.

It is clear that the Burundi peace process is being

held back by numerous constraints.

28

My Government’s efforts to restore peace and security

have been compromised by the completely unjust and

illegal blockade that has been maintained by neighbouring

countries since 31 July 1997. Paradoxically, the supporters

of these inhumane economic sanctions claim that they wish

to restore peace in Burundi. However, those who know my

country know that it is poor and landlocked and has been

beset by almost four years of war.

To support sanctions by word and by deed is

tantamount to killing more children and more disaster

victims through hunger, disease, poverty and war. No

neighbouring country should adopt such a stance, especially

when we take account of the concern that my country has

always shown for its neighbours when they were confronted

with the same problems.

The measures to mitigate the economic sanctions

agreed in Arusha last 16 April have not been implemented

in their entirety. Difficulties remain, particularly in respect

of air transport and the supply of humanitarian fuel. How

then, under these circumstances, can we speak of mitigation

when the released goods cannot reach their beneficiaries?

From this rostrum, my delegation calls once again on

the neighbouring countries in the subregion responsible for

the blockade to please lift these inhumane and degrading

sanctions immediately. It strongly urges the international

community to do everything in its power to make these

countries understand the pressing need to lift these unjust

sanctions, which only impoverish the poorest and enrich the

richest — measures that ravage the most vulnerable sectors

of society.

I should like to remind the Assembly that my

Government has already met all the demands made by the

countries of the subregion, which served as a pretext for the

imposition of the sanctions. These include the restoration of

the National Assembly and of the political parties and the

commencement of negotiations with the rebel army.

Unfortunately, at the risk of hampering the process, each

summit gives rise to new conditions. That is why the quest

for peace in Burundi often resembles the movement of

Sisyphus’ stone.

My country, moreover, continues to be confronted

with repeated border attacks by armed terrorist groups that

are based in a neighbouring country, Tanzania. These

criminal bands recruit in camps housing Burundi refugees

along the common border, in flagrant violation of the

Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.

Some of the rebels are based 15 kilometres from the

Burundi-Tanzania border. From there, it takes but a step

to infiltrate Burundi. In that one little step, they can

massacre — as they did last April — several innocent

Burundi people.

In the face of this situation, my Government urges

the United Nations firmly to condemn these terrorist

organizations and to bring pressure to bear on those

countries receiving them to separate genuine refugees

from tribal terrorist groups.

In order to promote the necessary communication in

the context of a political dialogue, we ask Tanzania once

again to liberate the Embassy of Burundi in Dar Es

Salaam in order to facilitate diplomatic relations current

negotiations and the settlement of the question of

refugees.

The Great Lakes region is experiencing an

unprecedented crisis. One of the main reasons for this

upheaval is doubtless the problem of refugees. The spiral

of violence that is engulfing our subregion has prompted

a vast trans-border movement of peoples fleeing warfare

and insecurity in their country or origin. Some are

innocent people who fear for their physical security, but

some belong to criminal groups. Faithful to its policy of

dialogue and concertation, the Government of the

Republic of Burundi will spare no effort to initiate

contacts with its neighbours in order to explore together

appropriate ways and means to resolve this situation. The

goal of this endeavour is to work together to restore a

climate of security on our common borders, in keeping

with our tradition of good-neighbourliness.

Africa is currently facing numerous challenges. A

low rate of economic growth; intense demographic

pressures; a decline in agricultural production; the

continuing decrease in bilateral and multilateral aid — the

result of new alliances; the burden of debt servicing; and

socio-political conflicts — these are the many pitfalls

along the path to Africa’s development. Our continent

will never achieve its development if it does not meet

these challenges, which is why my country resolutely

favours consolidating regional and subregional entities,

which would represent a crucial stage for progress in

Africa. In this connection, we welcome the System-wide

Special Initiative on Africa, launched officially on 15

March 1996. We firmly support and encourage this

ambitious programme, which was set up to support our

continent in its development efforts.

29

Our continent, Africa, is doubtless one of the most

turbulent areas on the planet. The efforts to democratize

political institutions on which so many hopes were pinned

have, regrettably, experienced dramatic setbacks as a result

of factors linked with ethnicity, a lack of preparedness and

a lack of flexibility.

With respect to the Great Lakes region, Burundi

welcomes the positive changes occurring in the Democratic

Republic of the Congo, as they can contribute to improving

the political situation and promote trade throughout the

region. We can therefore only encourage this friendly and

brotherly country to move ahead. We also urge the

international community to support it.

Rwanda, our neighbour, is making a great effort at

stabilization and reconciliation. International solidarity vis-

à-vis this country should also be encouraged.

At the same time, it is deplorable to note that Congo

(Brazzaville), a brotherly country, has also been the site of

fratricidal confrontation. In that context, we welcome the

efforts made by the President of Gabon, His Excellency

Mr. Omar Bongo; by the Special Representative of the

Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the

Organization of African Unity (OAU), Mr. Mohamed

Sahnoun; and by other mediators, national and international,

in their efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the Congo

problem.

My Government encourages our Angolan brothers and

sisters to complete the implementation of the Lusaka peace

agreements.

Following a protracted conflict, Liberia has

successfully organized democratic elections with the support

of the international community. We wish that country peace

and stability.

In the Middle East, the deadlock of the peace process

between Israel and Palestine can be overcome only if hard-

liners on both sides show greater flexibility.

My Government has taken note of the report of the

Secretary-General on the reform of the Organization.

Insofar as it seeks greater efficiency and strives for

mobilizing means not to maintain a hefty administration but

rather to achieve the goal of international solidarity,

particularly in the area of development, my Government

supports that reform.

My delegation shares with the Secretary-General his

concern for efficiency and economy: efficiency in an

administration that is streamlined, and efficiency in efforts

to combat poverty as well as in efforts at capacity-

building, particularly in the area of development.

With respect to Security Council reform, my

Government supports the provisions taken in the context

of the last OAU Summit, which met in Harare,

Zimbabwe. The terms of the common African position

have recently been communicated by the Chairman of the

OAU in this forum. Moreover, the developing countries

must be properly represented in the Council. Beyond the

question of representation, my delegation is convinced

that reform of the Security Council must above all

involve its methods of work and its adaptation to the

requirements of today’s realities.

In keeping with our position as stated during this

session of the General Assembly, my Government firmly

supports the establishment of an international criminal

court that would be entrusted with prosecuting and

punishing persons responsible for genocide, crimes

against humanity and war crimes.

Despite the many difficulties that my country,

Burundi, has faced since the national tragedy of October

1993, it has always sought to be present at the annual

sessions of the General Assembly of our Organization.

This assiduous presence attests to our unfaltering

attachment to the lofty ideals promoted and defended by

the United Nations. Despite the political and economic

crisis exacerbated by the blockade abusively imposed

upon my people, the Government of the Republic of

Burundi has been able to remit an amount of $116,000

dollars since April 1997 as its contribution to the regular

budget of the United Nations. Despite the difficult

economic climate, Burundi will do its utmost to continue,

to the extent that it is able, to honour its commitments

and to support our Organization.

Before concluding, I should like once again to recall

that Burundi is resolved to emerge from this crisis

affecting our country, and will do so through dialogue.

The sooner the next session is programmed, the better.

We hope that the obstacles that prevented the meeting of

25 August 1997 will be overcome.

My country supports the principle of expanding the

Security Council, but the methodology which will be

adopted to that end is of decisive importance. We hope

that all this reform will imbue the United Nations system

30

with the youthful vitality and energy necessary to redress

the shortcomings of the past, to consolidate the

achievements of the present and to lay solid and promising

foundations for the beginning of the next millennium.