30.05.08 - BURUNDI/JUSTICE - UN WORRIED OVER DELAY OF TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE IN BURUNDI

Bujumbura, 30 May 2008 (FH) - The United Nations has criticized Burundian leadership to amend agreed details of the accord between the UN and the government on the creation of transitional justice in the country. This agreement was signed on 2 November 2007.  

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In a recent report on Burundi, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon wrote: "no progress has been accomplished as regards the set up of mechanisms of transitional justice".

The head of the UN further added that the cabinet of the president recently took measures enabling him to play an excessively important part within the tripartite management committee, which is regarded as being contrary to the details and the spirit of the outlined agreement governing its operation".

The tripartite management committee includes representatives of the government, civil society and the UN.

The same report mentions the delay taken by the process of the national consultations, which were initially to begin at the beginning of April 2008 and finish in July 2009.

"The difficulties to which must face the tripartite management committee in charge of the national consultations on the mechanisms of transitional justice, in particular the non-observance, by its Burundian members, of the provisions of the outlined agreement governing the work, are also cause for serious concern", said the Secretary-General.

"Corrective measures must be taken so that the committee can fulfill in a tangible way the tasks which were entrusted to it", he recommended.

"I intend to submit shortly to the Security Council a separate report... I will make recommendations on the action of the UN in support of transitional justice in Burundi", he concludes.

Contacted by the Hirondelle Agency, the presidential spokesperson, Leonidas Hatungimana, stated they were analyzing the report.

EM/AT/MM/SC

© Hirondelle News Agency