Palipehutu-FNL Brought Back to Burundi Negotiating Table
blurb:isstoday:03042008burundi
03 April 2008: Palipehutu-FNL Brought Back to Burundi Negotiating Table
After intense diplomatic pressure from regional governments and the international community Burundi’s last rebel group, the Palipehutu-FNL, has been brought back to the negotiating table that drew up a new roadmap designed to end the standoff by the end of June 2008. This breakthrough was reached in a February 23 meeting in Cape Town, South Africa. The meeting was attended by special envoys to Burundi from Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa, as well as representatives of the African Union, the European Union, the United States of America and the United Nations.
The Cape Town meeting had been called to save the Burundi peace process after the FNL withdrew from its implementation, alleging bias on the part of the facilitator, South Africa’s Security Minister Charles Nqakula. To help address this challenge Minister Nqakula has followed the example of other peace processes by establishing a Group of Special Envoys for Burundi (GSEB), representatives of the African Union, the European Union, the United States of America and the United Nations.
The GSEB reached a common understanding on the following points that are expected to arise in the course of implementing the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement:
- Power sharing
- FNL transformation into a political party
- FNL dissidents
- Political prisoners
- Civil society
- Debts
- Rewriting history
- Forces technical agreement
The Regional Initiative extended the mandate of the Facilitation of the Burundi Peace Process to 31 December 2008. In consultation with Burundi’s regional and international partners, a Programme of Action has been developed to help ensure the full implementation of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) between the Government of Burundi (GOB) and the Palipehutu-FNL (FNL). The Program of Action addresses in a comprehensive manner the political, security and socio-economic reintegration dimensions of the peace process, in order to ensure the early resumption of the process as well as prevent its collapse in the future.
The Programme of Action comprises two phases that will enable the safe return of all FNL leaders and combatants to Burundi and their political, economic and social integration in that country. The process of integration will be closely monitored to ensure that the security of returning FNL members is assured and that systems that will cater for their integration are properly defined and put in place.
The programme is divided into two six-month timeframes. The first phase will involve simultaneous actions being taken within the framework of the Political Directorate and Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JVMM) with a view to the completion of the implementation of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement and agreement on the overall framework for the integration of FNL into the national institutions. The second phase will involve the continued strict monitoring by the Political Directorate so that all aspects thereof, to the letter and spirit of the agreed arrangements, are adhered to.
The Political Directorate, which was established by the Facilitator during 2007, will be based in Bujumbura. The Political Directorate, will be comprised of:
- A representative of the Facilitator
- The Special Representative of the African Union in Burundi
- The Executive Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Burundi
- A representative of the Government of Burundi
- A representative of the Palipehutu-FNL
- The Ambassadors in Burundi of Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa
- A representative of the European Union
The Political Directorate will address political obstacles that may arise in the course of the implementation of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement. It will serve as a “listening forum” and will promote trust between the parties. The Directorate will facilitate dialogue between the two parties, including on political arrangements aimed at the inclusion of FNL into the national institutions within the framework of the Constitution. It will monitor and assist the parties in implementing these arrangements. The Directorate will communicate and keep all partners informed of developments in the peace process.
The Group of Special Envoys for Burundi (GSEB) will support the work of the Political Directorate, as required. The Group will meet every three months to review progress in the peace process.
According to the roadmap, the FNL is expected to resume its participation in the ceasefire joint verification and monitoring mechanism this month. Agathon Rwasa and other FNL leaders are expected to return to Burundi in May in order to be part of the peace process and to begin the work of transforming their organisation into a political party. This roadmap is seen as key to ending close to two decades of civil conflict in Burundi.
If the comprehensive ceasefire agreement is implemented by June the AU Special Task Force in Burundi will withdraw from the country in July. In addition, the Political Directorate will start monitoring the FNL’s transformation into a political party as well as the social and economic integration of its members and other demobilised combatants. The key to the successful implementation of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) between the Government of Burundi and the Palipehutu-FNL still lies with the return of the leader of FNL, Rawasa, to Bujumbura to start the process.
Henri Boshoff, Military Analyst: African Security Analysis Programme, ISS Tshwane (Pretoria)
