Burundi: Council Calls On Government, Rebels To Complete Peace Process By End Of Year
New York, Dec 22 2008 5:10PM
The United Nations Security Council today called on the Government of Burundi and the last major rebel holdout to
complete the final phase of their peace process by the end of this year and desist from any action that could lead to a
resumption of hostilities in a country that has been torn by ethnic conflicts for over four decades.
Stressing the need for the UN system and the international community to maintain their support for peace consolidation
and long-term development in Burundi, the Council extended until 31 December 2009 the mandate of the UN Integrated Office in Burundi (BINUB) to help restore peace to the small
Central African country where conflict between Hutus and Tutsis has killed hundreds of thousands.
In a unanimously adopted resolution, it called on the rebel Palipehutu-FNL to work with the Government, the Joint
Verification and Monitoring Mechanism and all international partners to encourage all its combatants to move
unconditionally to assembly areas and to fully implement the process of disarmament, demobilization and reinsertion into
national society.
The resolution called on the Government, together with international partners, to lay the foundations for the
sustainable socio-economic reintegration of demobilized soldiers, ex-combatants, returning refugees, the displaced and
other vulnerable groups affected by the conflict, particularly women and children.
Noting with concern continuing human rights violations and restrictions on civil liberties, including arrests of members
of the political opposition and representatives of civil society, the media and trade unions, it called on the
Government to broaden the respect and protection of human rights and set up a National Independent Human Rights
Commission.
Expressing concern at continuing sexual and gender-based violence, the Council urged the Government to take the
necessary steps, including through specific legislation to prevent further violations and to ensure that those
responsible are brought to justice.
It also demanded that the Palipehutu-FNL and other armed groups release unconditionally and without further delay all
children associated with them.
BINUB was established two years ago to support the Government in such areas as peace consolidation and democratic
governance, disarmament and reform of the security sector, as well as various human rights and development activities.
Burundi was one of the first two countries, along with Sierra Leone, to receive support from the UN Peacebuilding
Commission set up in 2005 to help post-conflict countries determine priority areas for rebuilding out of the vast array
of challenges they face.
ENDS