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Mandate of the Burindi Peace Process Facilitator Extended
Pretoria - The Facilitator of the Burundi Peace Process Minister Charles Nqakula met with the leadership of the Regional Peace Initiative Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Jakaya Kikwete in Addis Ababa on 28 January 2008.
The Leadership of the Regional Initiative extended the mandate of the facilitator for a period of twelve months, ending 31 December 2008.
The Facilitator’s mandate will be broken into two phases, the first six months of his mandate ending June 2008 is to focus on the finalization of the demobilization, disarming and reintegration (DDR) of the PALIPEHUTU-FNL combatants.
The second phase will be to assist with the mechanisms aimed at implementing the agreed Political and Military Principles’ adopted on 18 July 2006, in Dar es Salaam.
The second phase will also be utilised to herald the era of post conflict reconstruction and development in Burundi.
Subsequent to the meeting with the Regional Leadership, the Facilitator and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tanzania, Mr B Mbembe, met with the Leadership of the PALIPEHUTU-FNL in Tanzania on the 5th of February 2008. The PALIPEHUTU-FNL Leadership was represented by Mr A Rwasa (The Chairperson), Mr B Jonas (The Secretary-General) and Mr P Habimana (The Spokesperson).
The following agreements were reached during the meeting:
- Resumption of the JVMM project as soon as possible.
- Arrangement for the return of the PALIPEHUTU-FNL Leadership to Burundi.
The parties also agreed that any other political issues that may arise which do not fall under the JVMM will be addressed by the Political Directorate established by the Facilitator.
The Political Directorate to be chaired by Ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo South Africa’s Special Envoy to the Great Lakes will also consist of the Representatives of the United Nations, the African Union in Burundi, South Africa’s Ambassador to Burundi, and the Ambassador of Tanzania to Burundi.
The Facilitator, Minister Nqakula, will be travelling to Tanzania in due course to convene the meeting of the Political Directorate and the PALIPEHUTU-FNL. It is expected that in this meeting discussions will also be based on the finalization of the return of the PALIPEHUTU-FNL to Burundi.
It is envisaged that the Political Directorate be expanded to include the European Union Representative and other role players most significantly senior representatives of the Government of Burundi and the PALIPEHUTU-FNL.
Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
8 February 2008
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