Security Council calls for end of hostilities

The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday called for an immediate end to hostilities in Burundi and urged armed groups to commence negotiations "in good faith without delay".

In a statement issued by the Council's President for the month of March, Ole Peter Kolby, Council members expressed support for facilitation efforts of the South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma and Gabon's President Omar Bongo and welcomed positive contributions made by the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.

The Council which had been briefed on the latest developments in Burundi by the UN Under-Secretary-General Kieren Prendergast, also commended the excellent performance of the South African protection unit in that nation.

The statement also urged donors to increase their development assistance for Burundi.

At a donor conference held in December 2000, development partners pledged US $440 million for an economic recovery package for Burundi. At yet another meeting in December last year, donor partners promised the government US $830 million to fight HIV/AIDS, reduce the debt service burden and support priority development programmes. Part of this amount was pledged at the 2000 Paris conference.

Meanwhile, fighting is still going on in several parts of the country, a security source confirmed to IRIN on Thursday. "The situation is still the same," the source said. "There is fighting in Mbare-Gasarara, Isale, Kabezi, Kanyosha, the Rukoko Valley and Kivoga in Bujumbura Rural among other places," he said. He added that there were rebel infiltrations in the southwest in Makamba province and that the army was also carrying out activities in this area.

Burundi's Radio Publique Africaine reported on Wednesday that some 60 people have been killed in the last three days during fighting between Forces nationale de liberation rebels and the regular army in Kanyosha commune in Bujumbura-Rural, western Burundi, adjacent to the capital, Bujumbura.