10.07.08 - BURUNDI/JUSTICE - UN RELEASES $1.3M FOR CONSULTATIONS ON BURUNDIAN TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE

Bujumbura, 10 July 2008 (FH) - The United Nations released Sunday 1. 3 million US dollars to facilitate the national consultations intended to set up transitional justice in Burundi, reports Hirondelle Agency.

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Speaking during a justice training session of about 20 local journalists, a senior Burundian official, Procès Bigirimana, representing the first Burundian vice-president, said the money would help to speed up the already delayed consultations.

According to Bigirimana, three steps remain to be overcome before the installation of the mechanisms of transitional justice.

“Firstly, the negotiations should continue on the question of the relationship between the Commission and the Special Tribunal and the principle of independence of the Prosecutor", he explained.

He continued: "if the two parties arrive to a consensus on this question, a general outline agreement on the installation of the double mechanism of transitional justice will have to be concluded after these steps and on a
basis of the results of the national consultations.’’

Finall, he added, the two parties will have to write the main documents of the two mechanisms of transitional justice.

The two preliminary steps to the preparation of the critical documents of the mechanisms of transitional justice should be completed before the end of the consultations, which, if the schedule remains unchanged, is in nine months.

EM/PB/MM/SC