UN envoy calls on international community to give sustained support to Burundi

The United Nations envoy to conflict-ridden Burundi called today on the international community to provide sustained support to the African country in order to build peace there, saying this was the “ultimate challenge” and the only way to get the impoverished nation back on its feet.

Carolyn McAskie, Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative, told reporters in New York that as the UN Operation in Burundi (ONUB) comes to a close at the end of this year, challenges still remained although at the request of the Government the UN will have completed 40 per cent of the drawdown of troops by next month.

“As I come to the end of my term in Burundi – and I will be leaving at the end of this month – my challenge to the international community is: you’ve done the peacekeeping job, now do the peacebuilding job, and that’s the ultimate challenge,” she said.

“What Burundi needs now is the same, sustained, international support in the economic and social fields that it has benefited from in the political and security fields,” she added.

Ms. McAskie will deliver Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s latest report on Burundi to the Security Council tomorrow, and one of the major issues under discussion she said would be that of the rebel Palipehutu-National Liberation Forces (Palipehutu-FNL).

“The remaining outstanding security issue in Burundi is the fact that there is a last rebel holdout group, the FNL. The FNL have offered finally now to negotiate with the Government on the basis of no preconditions and the Government is considering this,” she said, but added this remains “a question mark until it’s completed.”

“One of the major issues for the international community, which the Security Council will be addressing, is the human rights situation…The FNL remain a major perpetrator of human rights abuses…but the Government through its armed forces and its intelligence service is also a major perpetrator of human rights abuses.”

Ms. McAskie went on to say that the Government had asked for the UN to help them with human rights issues and added that the world body would continue to support much-needed security reform, as well as other humanitarian and development work.

“We will also retain at the request of the Government, extensive capacity in the fields of human rights and we will also be supporting the Government in putting in place the judicial mechanisms…that is, the Burundian National Truth and Reconciliation Commission,” she added.

In his report to the Security Council, a copy of which was made available on Monday, Mr. Annan said that “significant challenges remain,” in Burundi and the “most immediate task facing the Government is ending the 12-year conflict and restoring durable peace.”

“After more than a decade of devastating conflict, the security and economic situation in Burundi remains extremely fragile, requiring massive commitment of all involved,” the Secretary-General pointed out.

“Urgent improvements are required in the areas of good governance, transparency and accountability and respect for human rights, as well as the continuation of major economic, security and political reforms,” he said, stressing the importance of the active involvement of the region, bilateral partners and the UN.