Statement by Minister Nqakula regarding the Urgent Process to resume the stalled Burundi Peace Process

The stalled Burundi peace process will be resuscitated on Saturday, October 20, 2007, when the Joint Verification Monitoring Mechanism (JVMM) holds a meeting in Bujumbura to resume the task of implementing the Ceasefire Agreement between the Burundi Government and the Palipehutu-FNL.

The FNL is a rebel movement that stayed out of the Arusha negotiations that resulted in the democratisation process in Burundi. The rebels continued to fight for the liberation of Hutus in Burundi despite the advent of democracy and the adoption of a constitution that led to the election of the current government of President Pierre Nkurunziza.

The implementation of the ceasefire agreement will result in the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR process) of Palipehutu-Hutu combatants.

The FNL, though, walked out of the JVMM process on July 27 and has refused to go back, stalling, therefore, the whole process. But, a crisis has arisen with some FNL combatants abandoning their positions to ask Burundi Peace Process facilitator, Mr Charles Nqakula, to put them in the assembly areas for the DDR process. The combatants require urgently shelter, food, medical supplies and attention, as well as protection.

They were attacked by other FNL combatants because they are considered to have betrayed the cause. But, the numbers of those who are leaving the FNL are growing. At the moment, more than 1 500 have jumped ship.

An urgent meeting was held by the Regional Technical Committee, comprised of representatives from Uganda, Tanzania and South African, to map out the way forward in an attempt to complete the DDR task by the end of December this year. The meeting received an instruction from the Regional Initiative chairperson, President Yoweri Museveni, of Uganda, immediately to situate a process to establish the assembly areas to admit the combatants as they come out, including those who have already left the FNL positions.

The JVMM meeting on Saturday will take the process forward.

Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

15 October 2007