Security Council applauds efforts to consolidate peace in Burundi

The United Nations Security Council today welcomed efforts to bring lasting peace to Burundi, calling for a consolidation of progress in the country, which is rebuilding after being torn apart by 13 years of armed conflict.

In a statement to the press, Ambassador Marty Natalegawa of Indonesia, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, called on the last major rebel hold-out group, the Palipehutu-FNL, “to return to the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JVMM) without delay or preconditions and called on both parties to refrain from any action that might lead to a resumption of hostilities.”

The statement followed a briefing to the Council by Charles Nqakula, South Africa’s Minister of Safety and Security, who is the Facilitator of the peace process in Burundi.

Voicing it support for Mr. Nqakula’s work, the Council also expressed its appreciation of the work of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, which was set up last year to help prevent countries emerging from conflict from slipping back into violence. Along with Sierra Leone, Burundi became the first focus of the Commission.

The Council also welcomed the Government’s strides towards fostering dialogue, national reconciliation and social harmony in the small Great Lakes region nation.

The statement urged “all political stakeholders there to maintain the spirit of consensus-building and inclusiveness that had enabled them to achieve a successful transition in their country.”