DATE=1/19/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=MANDELA - BURUNDI (L-O) CQ
NUMBER=2-258219
BYLINE=BARBARA SCHOETZAU
DATELINE=NEW YORK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: At the United Nations today (Wednesday), former
South African President Nelson Mandela addressed an
open session of the Security Council on the rapidly
deteriorating situation in Burundi. Correspondent
Barbara Schoetzau reports.
TEXT: Mr. Mandela addressed Security Council members
in his new role as international mediator for Burundi
where civil war has brought the country to the verge
of economic collapse.
Mr. Mandela met Sunday in Tanzania with leaders of
Burundi's political parties and representatives
involved in peace negotiations. He says the real
challenge is to create a form of democracy that
provides for an accountable and responsive government
that insures security for all ethic groups within the
country.
/// FIRST MANDELA ACT ///
It is time for Burundians to get down to
business. No one can reach an agreement on their
behalf. The responsibility rests squarely with
their leaders now to find the necessary
arrangement by which Burundians can live
together.
/// END ACT ///
By finding a way to live together, Mr. Mandela says,
Burundians can set an example for the region and the
world.
Violence between minority Tutsis and majority Hutus in
Burundi has claimed more than 200-thousand lives. Up
to 800-thousand people lost their lives in violence
between the two ethnic groups in neighboring Rwanda in
1994.
Some international donors are reluctant to provide
economic and humanitarian assistance to Burundi
because of the Tutsi-led government's so-called
"regroupment" policy. Under the policy, about 300-
thousand people, mostly ethnic Hutus, have been
forcibly resettled in camps.
The Burundi government says the purpose of the camps
is to protect the Hutus from the same rebel ethnic
group that was responsible for the genocide in Rwanda.
But earlier this week, in response to international
pressure, the Burundi government agreed to review the
policy. Mr. Mandela says the solutions to other
important issues in Burundi cannot be reached until
the "regroupment" policy is retracted.
/// SECOND MANDELA ACT ///
The question of regroupment must be condemned in
the strongest terms and I am very happy about
the tone adopted by the Secretary General in his
address today.
/// END ACT ///
Secretary General Annan, in his remarks to the
Security Council, urged the government of Burundi to
abandon the regroupment policy.
The Security Council voted unanimously to support Mr.
Mandela in his mission to Burundi. But at Mr.
Mandela's request the Security Council removed a
section of the resolution condemning the regroupment
policy, because Mr. Mandela said it would hamper his
negotiations with the Burundi government.
The United States announced it will provide half a
million dollars to facilitate Mr. Mandela's efforts to
move the peace process in Burundi forward.(Signed)
NEB/NYC/bjs/LSF/gm
19-Jan-2000 14:40 PM EDT (19-Jan-2000 1940 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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