Secretary-General urges all parties in Burundi to sign peace accord, cease fighting
29 August -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed the peace agreement for Burundi concluded yesterday in Arusha, Tanzania, but expressed regret that not all parties had signed the accord and urged them to do so as soon as possible.
While noting that the agreement provided for a better future for Burundi, the Secretary-General underscored that the parties must remain genuinely committed to its implementation, according to a statement by Mr. Annan's spokesman.
"In this regard, he calls on all armed groups in the country to agree to a cessation of hostilities not only to facilitate implementation of the agreement but also to end the suffering of innocent victims of the violence in the country," the statement said.
Hundreds of thousands of Burundians have died in the country's ethnic conflict over the past ten years. Over 330,000 are now living in exile, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which over the past two years had participated informally in the Arusha talks.
Today, UNHCR voiced its disappointment with the "limited endorsement" of Monday's agreement. "We had hoped that all participants would sign an agreement," agency spokesman Kris Janowski told reporters in Geneva, noting that this would have raised hopes for Burundi's refugees to return home in safety and dignity.
Mr. Janowski said that UNHCR would not organize a repatriation to Burundi until all of the hostilities ceased, but would continue to prepare for that eventuality. He added that "only a clear endorsement of a peace plan by all parties will send a sufficiently positive message to refugees."
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