Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
12th December 2001
The President of Burundi, His Excellency Mr Pierre Buyoya, will be visiting South Africa at the invitation of Former President, Mr Nelson Mandela, with whom he will meet on 14 December 2001 at 14:00.
Following the installation of the Burundian Transitional Government on 1 November 2001, the visit by President Buyoya is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at bolstering and consolidating the Burundian peace process, which is viewed by observers as a turning point in the peace process.
The main development prior to the installation of the Burundian Transitional Government was the 16th Regional Summit on Burundi, which commenced on 1 October 2001 in Arusha. The summit was called to set in motion preparations, including the deployment of a VIP protection force, for the launching of the implementation phase of the Transitional Government. The Summit failed to reach consensus on the composition of the VIP protection force, whose main function would be to ensure the safety and security of the returning political exiles.
A follow-up Summit was then held in Pretoria on 11 October 2001, to specifically address security issues and the protection force for returning political exiles. At the conclusion of this Summit, the Facilitator indicated that he would approach President Thabo Mbeki with a request that South African troops, as an interim measure, be deployed in Burundi as VIP protectors. This led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by the respective Ministers of Defence of South Africa and Burundi on 26 October 2001. In accordance with the stipulations of the MOU, a maximum of 2 battalions would be deployed in Burundi. One battalion was deployed before the installation ceremony, while a second will only be deployed if necessary, following consultations between the two governments.
The SANDF force enjoys the full support of the Transitional Government and the Burundian Army. The deployment has also received the strong support of the UN Security Council and the wider international community. It constitutes an important confidence building measure that should significantly boost prospects for a permanent resolution to this protracted conflict.
A further development of note was the second International Donors’ Conference held in Geneva on 6 and 7 December 2001, where the international donor community pledged an amount of US$ 760 million to assist Burundi. This may be viewed as a tangible demonstration of the commitment of the international community to assist the process of establishing a sustainable and lasting peace in Burundi, by supporting the existing facilitation/mediation process, by means of providing the necessary funding required to ensure the successful implementation of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation process.
For further information, please contact Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853