Donors pledge over US $1 billion for Bujumbura

Donors have pledged €810 million (US $1.03 billion) to fund the reconstruction of Burundi over three years, the Belgian minister for cooperation and development, Marc Verwilghen, announced on Thursday at the end of the fourth "Forum of Partners for Development in Burundi". Burundian President Domitien Ndayizeye, who was accompanied by seven ministers to the forum that was held in Brussels under the auspices of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Belgian government, expressed his satisfaction, saying, "Donors have understood our needs. It’s a note of hope for Burundians and for the whole region." The Burundian aid requests, amounting to $1.6 billion, were divided into: the alleviation of the multilateral debt ($942 million), the programme of rehabilitation of returnees ($608 million), the national programme for reinforcing good governance ($65 million) and the reforms of the defence and security forces ($80 million). Of the total funds pledged, the EU promised $279 million, the World Bank $140 million, the United States $135 million, Britain $50 million, Germany has promised $46.2 million and Belgium $44.6 million. The Brussels Forum followed other donor conferences held in Paris in 2000 and in Geneva in 2001 and 2002, but this last meeting attracted the largest donor pledges. "The point is not only to promise but to disburse," Verwilghen said. "We have to act rapidly because Burundians are in need. That’s why a follow-up committee will be set up in order to check that the promises are realised." Asked to give more details about the follow-up committee, President Ndayizeye told IRIN that the team would meet monthly and that his government would chair the body. "Consultations will be held immediately on my return to [the capital] Bujumbura in order to define the membership," he said. He said the forum had occurred at a crucial moment because Burundi had reached an advanced stage in the achievement of peace. Apart from Burundi, 25 countries were represented at the forum, as well as the UN, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the AU and the EU. The final communiqué of the forum appealed to "the last armed movement [the Front nationales de libération (FNL) of Agathon Rwasa] to join the peace process without delay". The communiqué also said, "The participants noted with satisfaction the fact that the government and the FNL-Rwasa mutually expressed their wish to begin negotiations." On this subject, Ndayizeye told reporters that he could meet the representatives of the FNL on 18 January. But the Associated Press quoted FNL spokesman Pasteur Habimana as saying that eight rebels would meet Ndayizeye in the Netherlands on 19 and 20 Jan.