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BURUNDI: One word blocking peace process

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 09:07:10 GMT

Saturday, November 08, 2008

An attempt by regional mediators to revive the peace process between the government and the rebel Forces nationales de libération (FNL) hit a snag on 6 November after the rebels rejected a name-change proposal.

Officials of the Regional Peace Initiative for Burundi, led by South African safety and security minister Charles Nqakula, were in Bujumbura, the capital, to urge the two parties to speed up the process ahead of a 31 December deadline.

"The mandate [of the mediation process] will not be reviewed; everything that needs to be done has to be done before 31 December; this includes the assembly of FNL combatants in the designated areas so that we can begin the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration [DDR]; essentially, that is the message we came to convey to the two parties,” Nqakula said.

Nqakula, who was accompanied by Uganda's Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa, presented a new plan to revive the stalled peace process to President Pierre Nkurunziza and FNL leader Agathon Rwasa.

However, the FNL immediately rejected a proposal requiring it to drop "Palipehutu", which means “for the Hutu alone", from its name.

Its use in FNL's official name and the registration of the group as a political party led to a stalemate in the talks between the government and the country's remaining rebel group.

"We will not change our name, we signed the [peace] accords as the PALIPEHUTU–FNL, they should accept us as such," Pasteur Habimana, FNL spokesman, said.

By proposing the change of name, Habimana said, the mediator had surrendered his responsibility as the guarantor of the peace accords signed in 2006 between the government and FNL.
Saying that the peace process had taken too long and should be concluded, Nqakula stressed: "There is nothing that has no end, we must come to the end of the road in terms of ensuring that all the building blocks for durable peace in Burundi are in place."

FNL posts

At a press conference on 6 November, Nkurunziza's spokesman, Léonidas Hatungimana, said the government was satisfied with the regional initiative's formula to get the peace process back on track.

The regional initiative recommends that the government integrate FNL members into its institutions, in accordance with the constitution.

"A list of places available for PALIPEHUTU–FNL is ready and has been communicated to Agathon Rwasa," Hatungimana said.

However, FNL rejected the offer, saying it was not up to the government to propose posts. "The government proposes [to give] us just scraps; we should sit together and negotiate,” Habimana told reporters.

According to Burundi's constitution, FNL will only get posts that do not require elections, such as provincial governors or posts in public administrations. It cannot get seats in the National Assembly or Senate.

DDR process

FNL said it was ready to have its combatants in assembly areas, but criticised the poor living conditions at the assembly points.

So far, only 2,000 FNL combatants are assembled at Rugazi in the northwest province of Bubanza. The FNL claims it has at least 21,000 combatants waiting to join assembly areas.

The head of the government’s delegates to the joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism, Brig-Gen Lazare Nduwayo, said preparation for another cantonment site in Bubanza province to host about 8,000 FNL combatants had been delayed but the site would be ready soon.

IRIN

BURUNDI: Villagers flee as rebel fighters attack splinter group's position

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 02:35:45 GMT

Friday, October 26, 2007

Fighters of Burundi's last active rebel group have for the second time in one week attacked a position occupied by a break-away faction, forcing villagers to flee their homes, a senior military official said.

The evening raid by combatants of the Front National de Liberation (FNL), led by Agathon Rwasa, took place on 24 October evening on a site where the so-called FNL "dissidents" have gathered in Gakungwe village of Kabezi commune in Bujumbura Rural province.

It forced hundreds of people from surrounding villages to run away as the army sent reinforcements to the area to guard the splinter faction's settlement, residents said.

"There has indeed been such an attack and the heavy exchange of gunfire was heard," deputy army chief of staff Major General Godefroid Niyuhire told IRIN on 25 October. There were, however, no casualties during the attack, he said.

The "dissidents" say they fought with Rwasa for the FNL, but Rwasa's supporters have denied their claims and accused the government of creating a faction within the FNL. Rwasa has said these men, who intend to join the country's peace process, are not even party to a 2006 ceasefire agreement signed between the government and the FNL.

The ceasefire agreement has not been put into effect because Rwasa's FNL has refused to take part in the implementation process, accusing Charles Nqakula - South African security minister and head of the mediation team - of pro-government bias.

On the night of 21 October, seven FNL "dissident" fighters were killed when Rwasa's combatants attacked their position at Gakungwe in Kabezi, according to army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Adolphe Manirakiza. Two government soldiers and two of the raiders also died in the attack.

Source: IRIN

BURUNDI: Calm returns as army warns it may crack down on rebels

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 05:30:17 GMT

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Residents of Buterere commune near the Burundian capital of Bujumbura have returned to their homes after fleeing clashes between rebel factions that left 20 fighters dead.

An uneasy calm enveloped the commune, with residents saying the fighters had left the area. The Burundian army, however, vowed to crack down on the rebels unless they abandon their current positions.

"Our defence forces did not react quickly to calls to chase the combatants away from the population's neighbourhood," the defence minister, Lt-Gen Germain Niyoyankana, said on 5 September.

Urging the residents of Buterere to alert the armed forces when there were rebels in the area, he added: "They are the ones to suffer most when security is disturbed."

The clashes, which broke out on 3 September, forced hundreds of families to flee their homes as factions of the rebel Forces nationales de libération (FNL) clashed at Mugaruro where one of the FNL wings opposed to leader Agathon Rwasa had retreated into a small forest.

The Buterere administrator, Moise Ndayisenga, said residents and local administrators had been urging the FNL factions to move out of the area, pending their assembly for demobilisation or integration.

A local resident said: "We are happy the combatants have gone."

The defence minister urged the rebel leaders and combatants not to waste time and join other Burundians in building the country. "They should come and share with others what is available and discard the thinking that they can succeed in using weapons," he told reporters. "The army will not allow the formation of rebel strongholds, and will react strongly - with arms if necessary."

He called on the army not to engage in politics. "Officers who take part in political meetings do this on their own and not on behalf of the defence forces," Niyoyankana warned.

Earlier, FNL spokesman Pasteur Habimana had accused the government of creating a faction in the FNL to force a return of combatants who remained in the Democratic Republic of Congo when the movement returned to Burundi in 2003.

The clashes were the latest sign of tensions within the FNL. Two years ago, a breakaway faction accused Rwasa of gross human-rights violations. More recently, the FNL walked out of a ceasefire monitoring team set up after it signed a truce with the government in September 2006.

The team was to start work in February but it has been delayed by the wrangles. Burundi peace mediator and South African security minister Charles Nqakula has, however, said the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism would be relaunched soon so that the country's peace process could be concluded by the end of the year.

Source: IRIN

BURUNDI: Grappling with a looming political crisis

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 05:15:58 GMT

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Burundi’s future appeared rosy as international donors pledged US$665.6 million in May for a three-year poverty reduction plan, but a brewing political crisis could upset everything, say observers.

The crisis, both within the ruling party and outside it, began early in 2007 when Hussein Radjabu, chairman of the Conseil national pour la défense de la démocratie-Forces pour la défense de la démocratie (CNDD-FDD) party, was sidelined.

Radjabu has played a central role from the time CNDD-FDD was a rebel group until it transformed itself into a political party. He was instrumental in the formation of President Pierre Nkurunziza's government, which took office in August 2005.

According to observers, he was the power behind the throne and wielded great influence over decisions on issues such as government appointments, the military, diplomatic services and public procurement.

It was therefore surprising when a CNDD-FDD congress in February, which Radjabu did not attend, replaced him with Jeremie Ngendakumana, a former ambassador to Kenya. Soon after, Radjabu's parliamentary immunity was withdrawn and in April, he was detained over claims of fomenting war.

Radjabu appeared in court on 29 May on charges of being a danger to the state, but another scheduled appearance on 15 June did not take place.

Government spokeswoman and information minister Hafsa Mossi declined to comment, saying the alleged crisis within the party had not become a concern for the government.

"At the level of the government they [the authorities] do not know the 'evolution' of this crisis; [it] is not yet a government issue,” she said.

The president's spokesman, Leonidas Hatungimana, said the head of state enjoyed the support of CNDD-FDD members as he has the support of other Burundians. But an opposition politician in Bujumbura, who requested anonymity, denied this.

"It is obvious that the CNDD-FDD has split and has many problems; the first problem is Radjabu and his supporters," he said. "This is one of the four groups within the CNDD-FDD. The CNDD-FDD is undergoing an internal crisis; it lost its majority in parliament when 30 of its MPs left."

Need for reforms

In a briefing paper on Burundi's democratisation, the Forum on Early Warning and Early Response (FEWER-Africa) said Radjabu's removal had not been followed by systematic reforms within the party; neither did it provide impetus to create a new leadership.

"The elimination of the political opposition has continued, and in some ways accelerated. The past months have been marked by exclusion of many prominent CNDD-FDD leaders, notably those with a civilian background," the May 2007 paper noted. "The question is, will this 'housecleaning' lead to a more responsible, effective governing party or simply a change of guard from one power centre to the next?"

CNDD-FDD spokesman Evariste Nsabiyumva dismissed talk of a crisis within the party. "For the time being, the CNDD-FDD is favouring political dialogue with all its partners," he said, referring to the Front pour la Démocratie au Burundi (FRODEBU), the second-largest party.

According to the results of the 2005 elections, FRODEBU is entitled to five ministerial posts. But it has refused to join the government until talks are held on crucial issues such as human rights and corruption.

Nkurunziza's spokesman said the president had done his best to get FRODEBU into government. He confirmed that the president wrote to the FRODEBU chairman on 15 June requesting suggestions for the positions.
"The president had given FRODEBU until 18 June to forward the names," Hatungimana said. "FRODEBU replied to the letter on 21 June without providing names."

But FRODEBU spokesman Pancrace Cimpaye said the party was simply agitating for its constitutional rights. "We have no intention of provoking the ouster of the head of state; all we want is for the constitution to be respected," he said.

"FRODEBU's performance [in the 2005 elections] entitles it to a number of posts in the country's institutions, including the government," Cimpaye added. "It cannot propose names for ministerial posts that are not yet known."

Constitutional concerns

Observers say urgent reforms are necessary. "Burundi is like a new car with a manufacturer's fault," said Jean-Marie Gasana, senior analyst with FEWER. "When you set the agenda for people without them owning the process, you get something that is working on paper but failing in reality.

"This is what is happening with regard to the Arusha agreement [signed by Burundian parties in 2000 in Tanzania], which guided the transition and agreement that CNDD-FDD signed with the government before elections in 2005," he explained.

A major setback for CNDD-FDD was the withdrawal of 30 members from its parliamentary group, reducing its majority and forcing it into a situation where it has to seek a coalition partner from other political parties in parliament.

One of those who quit said they were opposed to blatant violations of Burundi's constitution. "We are advocating for the rule of law, and respect of the agreements that led to the democratic elections of 2005," the MP said.
Another, Pascaline Kampayano, said: "I left CNDD-FDD because it does not respect the party's constitution. We have grouped ourselves under the Rassemblement pour un État de Droit [Rally for the Rule of Law] to ensure that CNDD-FDD adheres to the law," she said.

According to Burundian lawyer Prosper Niyoyankana, the government has been "in trouble" since the change of party leadership in February.

"We believe in democracy, members have the right to adhere to the party or leave it," he said. "MPs and senators who left the party have since February demonstrated their opposition to [its] ideals by disapproving of the outcome of the special convention, but those who stayed believe in it."

The party, he added, could be headed for more trouble if MPs from FRODEBU and those who quit CNDD-FDD's parliamentary group linked up to create an alliance to block government-sponsored bills.

What is worse, Niyoyankana said, was that the president cannot dissolve parliament, according to Article 302 of the Constitution.

"If the senate [the upper chamber of parliament], where the CNDD-FDD holds a comfortable majority, is unable to sit for lack of a quorum, the party is seriously weakened," Niyoyankana added, referring to a senate session that was put off three times recently as senators from FRODEBU and CNDD-FDD, allied to Radjabu, boycotted it.

Observers worry that the situation could lead to a vote of no-confidence in the government. But Nsabiyumva said while parliament had the right to pass a vote of no-confidence in the president, there was little chance of that given that the National Assembly (lower chamber) and the Senate (upper chamber) must sit in a joint session and pass it with a two-thirds majority.

"Unless the CNDD-FDD is behind the move, there is little chance that such a bill could pass," he said.

Challenges

According to Niyoyankana, CNDD-FDD has two options: either to seek an alliance with other political parties represented in parliament and form a majority, or open the government to opposition parties.

"It would be a good opportunity for the ruling party to silence them," he said. Under Article 173 of the constitution, a party represented in the government cannot claim to be in the opposition.

Apart from CNDD-FDD and FRODEBU, the Union pour le Progrès national (UPRONA), the third-largest political party in parliament, is entitled to ministerial posts in government.
Critics said Nkurunziza included other political parties that did not have the constitutional right to posts in government, having won less than 5 percent of votes in 2005, including the Parti pour le redressement National (PARENA-Inkinzo) and the Mouvement pour la Réhabilitation du Citoyen (MRC), with one ministerial post each.

But the presidential spokesman said the constitution had been respected in the formation of the current government. "The constitution stipulates that every political party which got one-twentieth of the votes is entitled to a ministerial position, if it is willing to join government," Hatungimana said.

In 2006, FRODEBU decided to pull out of government but its three ministers preferred to remain in office, prompting the party to dismiss them. UPRONA, observers say, feels short-changed in the ministerial positions it is entitled to - one instead of two.

Alliances and opposition

"The question is not political alliances, but a dispute between a party which won elections and another one claiming its rights," UPRONA leader, Aloys Rukuba, told IRIN. "It may happen that the CNDD-FDD negotiates a 'partnership' to be able to reach a required quorum in parliament, but on the basis of some agreements."

Nkurunziza, he added, should have consulted all political parties when naming his government to respect constitutional provisions specifying what each party was entitled to in government.

"Partnership can make things move forward; the issue of quorum [in parliament] can alleviate problems but does not ensure tranquility of the state," he added, noting that UPRONA had not been approached on the possibility of forming an alliance.

"If CNDD-FDD approaches us, we will analyse their proposal to decide what stand to adopt," Rukuba explained. "Dialogue should involve all political parties represented in parliament [and] should bring together the head of state and leaders of political parties, especially those with a certain representation in the country's management."

Rebel talk

Another issue facing the government, observers said, was the question of the Forces nationales de libération (FNL).

Led by Agathon Rwasa, the FNL is the only active rebel movement in the country, despite signing a ceasefire agreement with the government in September 2006.
On 17 June, Nkurunziza met Rwasa in Tanzania and agreed to reactivate a ceasefire agreement they signed in September 2006 and to free FNL members currently in prison in Burundi.

Critics say the agreement mainly addressed security issues but is silent on power-sharing arrangements, yet the FNL has indicated it wants a share of government positions.

Welcoming the agreement, the UN Security Council said: "The resumption of dialogue represents a major milestone on the way to peace consolidation in Burundi." It appealed for continued dialogue, consensus-building and inclusiveness.

Presidential spokesman Hatungimana, however, remained upbeat. "He [the president] cannot win the support of all Burundians because among them the bandits and embezzlers and the others are clinging on for their own interests," he said.

Source: IRIN