SG/SM/6554
AFR/58

SECRETARY-GENERAL EXPRESSES HOPE THAT RECONCILIATION WILL PREVAIL OVER FEAR, RESENTMENT IN BURUNDI

Commends Regional, Internal Initiatives For Solution Which Safeguards Democracy, Human Rights

Following is the text of a statement by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the National Assembly of Burundi, delivered at Bujumbura on 7 May:

My very first words will be to express my joy to be among you here in Burundi, country of the long-horned cow and the drum. I should also like to thank the leaders and people of Burundi for the warm welcome they have shown me.

In coming to Bujumbura, my wish is to bring you a message of hope and peace. I also wish to show my solidarity and that of the United Nations. My visit is thus a pledge of the Organization's interest in the people of Burundi and of its desire to bolster the courageous efforts you are making to restore harmony.

The profound crisis that Burundi has been going through for the past five years has divided its sons, destroyed its infrastructure, ruined its economy and, in short, mortgaged its future. To get through these difficult times, your country naturally needs the support of all its friends and the concern of the international community. But most of all it needs the will of Burundians themselves to come together and build their common future together.

The crisis in Burundi is, of course, having repercussions at the subregional, regional and international levels. But it is first and foremost a Burundian crisis. It is therefore up to Burundians to get along with each other and lay the groundwork for a lasting solution that affords recognition to all. By "lasting solution" I mean a solution that offers the proper safeguards in terms of democratic legitimacy and respect for human rights.

Here I should like to commend the two main initiatives that have been taken in this direction: the regional initiative, undertaken within the framework of the Arusha process with the mediation of His Excellency Mwalimu

Julius Nyerere, and the internal initiative developed by Burundi's main political players.

The regional initiative, as you are all aware, comes from the States of the subregion, those closest to you, whose realities and difficulties are largely the same as yours. In accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, which calls upon the Organization, together with regional organizations, to ensure the maintenance of international peace and security, the United Nations has supported the regional initiative from the outset, and my Special Envoys have been very much involved in it.

The internal initiative, in turn, bears witness to your desire to find by yourselves the most appropriate solutions to the crisis your country is going through. You are endeavouring to achieve the broadest possible consensus between institutions, political forces, civilian society and the army. For this, I congratulate you.

These initiatives are not mutually exclusive; quite the opposite -- they complement each other. For the negotiations under way on transitional mechanisms must lead to comprehensive negotiations open to all Burundians at home and abroad.

My dear brothers and sisters of Burundi,

Even if it is chiefly up to you to resolve the crisis, the international community is still duty-bound to support your efforts -- firstly, by intensifying its humanitarian activities aimed at alleviating the sufferings of a sorely tried populace and providing assistance to the many refugees and displaced persons who are suffering from malnutrition; then by giving its moral commitment and by providing a system of guarantees for any political agreement you may reach; and finally, by assisting Burundi's recovery and reconstruction.

Burundi has a long list of needs, both human and material. Various United Nations bodies are already working alongside you, but the current situation demands a much greater mobilization of resources. The United Nations will spare no effort to make the international community aware of your difficulties. The visit by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mrs. Ogata, followed by that of Mr. Speth, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), are part of this awareness-raising effort.

What is important is for the essentially humanitarian activities that are being carried out today to be replaced, as soon as peace and security are restored, by assistance for development and production.

Strengthening your institutions, particularly the judicial system, is one of the areas in which the international community's assistance is most necessary. I am well aware that a political transition and peaceful coexistence for all Burundians can come about only if the administration of justice is sound. Yet for 40 years the history of your country, like that of other States in the region, has been marked by impunity. This must stop.

And for it to stop, you need an effective and impartial judicial system that renders justice -- not in a spirit of revenge, but with respect for the law and international norms. I have already informed the Burundian authorities of my readiness to support projects aimed at improving the functioning of Burundi's judicial system.

I am convinced that you will be able to recover the common vision of a Burundian nation that is united, just and prosperous.

"United", because it will be free of the simplistic stereotypes that arbitrarily divided the valiant people of Burundi into antagonistic groups. For is not the Burundian people a single nation, speaking a single language, venerating a single God (Imana), living in a single land -- in a word, sharing a single culture?

"Just", because it will have reconnected with its traditional moral values -- values such as ubuntu, or human dignity; ukuri, or the cult of truth; and kusira akarenganyo, or equality for all before the law.

"Prosperous", because the restoration of peace will have released the energy and lifeblood of an industrious people.

I shall leave Burundi with the hope that a sense of responsibility and the desire for reconciliation will prevail over fear and resentment; with the hope that your leaders will continue to bear in mind that no serious political enterprise is possible without dialogue, tolerance and respect for the rights and the wishes of citizens; and with the conviction that the forces of reason will eventually win the day over power-hungry factions and groups whose interests lie in exclusion and violence.

For the country to get back on the road to peace and prosperity, Burundians must regain confidence -- in themselves, in their neighbours, in their leaders and in their institutions. They must be able to work and travel in complete safety, without the constant threat of violence.

Only then will it again be possible for the country's communities to live together in peace.

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United Nations