Belgium says peace accord not necessary for aid

Belgium has said resuming cooperation with Burundi is not conditional on the signing of a peace accord in Arusha, according to Burundian media sources. Secretary-General in the Belgian foreign ministry Jan de Bock, who is currently visiting Burundi, held talks on Monday with President Pierre Buyoya. “Belgium is not one of those countries demanding the signing of a peace accord before resuming cooperation with Burundi,” he was quoted as saying. Buyoya told him the people of Burundi needed help now, not in the future. He added that Burundi was committed to continuing the peace process. Last week, French Cooperation Minister Charles Josselin also suggested the resumption of aid was not conditional on a peace accord. Observers have criticised donor countries which in the past said a peace accord must first be signed in Arusha before cooperation could resume. The Arusha process has been thrown into disarray with the death of the facilitator, Julius Nyerere.