Ndadaye murder trial to be revised

Burundi's general prosecutor has announced a revision of the trial for the assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye who was killed in 1993. According to the private Azania news agency, he said certain elements of the penal code were violated during the trial. "Taking these violations into account, there are means of recourse," he was quoted as saying. Finance ministry considers devaluation to boost exports The government in Bujumbura is considering a major devaluation of the Burundi franc in order to boost competitiveness, senior government officials said on Wednesday. A devaluation of up to 20 percent is being considered, particularly because low commodity prices have led international traders to shun Burundi coffee, made relatively expensive by the over-valued Burundi franc, Reuters news agency reported. The franc is officially quoted at 530 against the dollar but fetches more than twice that rate on the black market and a devaluation would be welcomed by the Burundi Coffee Board (OCIBU) which needs money to invest in coffee production, it added. Burundi's ability to pay for imports, and therefore its overall economic health, depends largely on its coffee crop, which accounts for about 80 percent of foreign exchange earnings, according to recent economic data. Coffee output has fallen sharply in the 1990s (from over 45,000 mt in 1992 to less than 20,000 mt in 1998) as a result of conflict, low world prices, fertiliser shortages and ageing plantations, and the sector will require substantial new investment, according to economic analysts. "We are advising the government to devalue the currency in order that farmers sustain their production costs", Reuters quoted Celestin Nkeza, chairman of Burundi's coffee auctions, as saying.