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Energy and Mines minister dismissed

    NAIROBI

    Energy and Mines Minister Mathias Hitimana has been dismissed from the transitional government and replaced by the former minister of planning, Andre Nkundikije, news organisations reported.

    Hitimana's sacking was announced on Sunday on state radio, giving no reasons for the action. Commenting on this at the airport before his departure for the Organisation of African Unity summit in Durban, South Africa, President Pierre Buyoya told reporters, "When we have taken such a decision, we never explain ourselves on radios." The Associated Press quoted Hitimana as saying he did not know why he had been dismissed, but that the act constituted a violation of the August 2000 power-sharing deal by 17 political parties, the National Assembly and the government.

    Hitimana is the leader of the Parti pour la reconciliation du peuple. His successor heads the Parti vert-intwari. Both are members of the G-10, a group of Tutsi-dominated parties.

    The Burundi human rights league, Iteka, said Hitimana, who was appointed minister on 1 November 2001 at the inauguration of the transitional government, had complained about his dismissal to the former Burundi conflict mediator, Nelson Mandela.

    Meanwhile, the Australian mining company Argosy Minerals announced it had made a significant find of platinum in Burundi, Asia Intelligence Wire reported on Sunday. "The platinum intersections from the drilling work done so far are significant," it quoted Argosy Corporate Development Manager Dave Russell as saying.

    He described the find as accidental, because Argosy was in Burundi to assess known nickel laterite deposits.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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