Deputy President Welcomes United Nations Resolution on Burundi

Deputy President Jacob Zuma, Facilitator of the Burundi peace process, has welcomed the passing of Resolution 1545 (2004) on Burundi by the United Nations Security Council.

The Deputy President is currently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he arrived this morning, 25 May, to attend the launch of the African Union Peace and Security Council. His delegation includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

The UNSC Resolution authorizes the Deployment of a UN peacekeeping operation in Burundi by 01 June 2004, entitled the United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB), to support the movement towards peace in that country.

The UN will take over the African Mission in Burundi, (AMIB) which has played an interim role since March 2003, preparing the conditions for a UN involvement. On 4 December 2003, Deputy President Zuma addressed the UN Security Council in New York, requesting the take-over of AMIB by the UN. He had made a similar request on 4 December 2002. In last December's presentation, the Deputy President informed the Security Council that given the fact that peace had returned to 95% of the territory of Burundi, the time had come for the UN to deploy a peacekeeping mission.

The Deputy President extended to the UNSC, the appreciation of the positive response by South Africa and the Facilitation, as it indicated international community's realization of the urgency of bringing about peace and stability on the African continent. He assured the Security Council of South Africa's continued participation in efforts aimed at achieving peace and stability in Burundi.

He praised the leadership and staff of the AMIB, headed by Ambassador Mamadou Bah, the Special Representative of the AU in Burundi, for their hard work over the past year, in fulfilling the mandate of the AU and executing their tasks in an outstanding manner, despite the difficult conditions on the ground.

He also congratulated South African soldiers who were part of the AMIB force for their patriotism and dedication to finding peace and stability in Africa, and urged them to be as equally dedicated to the ONUB as they were to the African Mission.

The Deputy President also commended the Mozambican and Ethiopian soldiers as well as observers from other countries in the continent, who formed part of the AMIB. He also acknowledged the key role played by the Great Lakes Regional initiative on Burundi, especially Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania, and said the AMIB will go down in history as an excellent example of an African solution to local security challenges, and will remain a good model for future African interventions in peacekeeping.

The Deputy President announced to the Peace and Security Council, a meeting on Burundi to take place on Sunday, 30 May, in Pretoria. The meeting will be attended by three Burundi parties, FRODEBU, UPRONA and the CNDD-FDD of Pierre Nkurunziza. He also announced that the Regional Summit on Burundi would take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 5 June 2004. Both the events are aimed at taking the peace process forward.

The PSC, launched today in Addis Ababa, will be the standing decision-making organ for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts. It will be the collective security and early-warning arrangement to facilitate timely and efficient response to conflict and crisis situations in Africa.

The functions of the Council will include early warning and preventative diplomacy, peace-making, peace support operations. Its mandate according to the Constitutive Act will include the right of the AU to intervene in member states in respect of grave circumstances, war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.

It may also respond to request by member states to intervene in restoring peace and security and its primary function will be peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction.

It will ensure the implementation of the OAU/AU, UN and other relevant international Conventions and Treaties on arms control and disarmament. It may take action where the national independence and security of a member state may be threatened by acts of foreign aggression, including mercenaries and will also co-ordinate and facilitate humanitarian action in situations of armed conflict and natural disaster and take decisions on issues relating to peace on the continent.

The PSC also provides the mandate for developing a Common African defence and security policy.

The Deputy President will return to South Africa tomorrow, 26 May 2004.

Enquiries: Lakela Kaunda 082 782 2575

Issued by the Presidency
South African Operations Room
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

25 May 2004