Mandela urges end to attacks on civilians

The facilitator, Nelson Mandela, on Friday said there was no justification to the violent attacks on Burundian civilians when a political accord had been reached. In a briefing to the UN Security Council, he stressed the way was now open for all sides to bring their concerns to the political table and urged the rebel groups to “demonstrate the quality of their leadership, announce a ceasefire and halt the slaughter of innocent people”. He warned that if the armed groups were not included in the peace process, there was no guarantee that the issues agreed upon in Arusha would be adhered to by the rebels.

Following his briefing, the Security Council adopted a statement calling on rebel groups to settle their differences. Voicing concern over the continuing level of violence in Burundi, “particularly by the rebel groups”, the Council said compromise was the only way to reach agreement on peace. It also called on Secretary-General Kofi Annan to report urgently on specific actions the UN could take to help bring about peace and economic recovery in Burundi. For his part, Annan described the Arusha accord as a “comprehensive blueprint” for the reform of Burundi society. “It addresses the root causes of the conflict, such as exclusion and genocide, as well as the tragic consequences of the war, including the plight of hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced people,” he said.