African Union takes pulse of Burundi conflict

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - The Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution organ of the African Union (AU) has called for a speedy implementation of decisions reached at a regional summit on the Burundi peace process held last 2 December in Arusha, Tanzania.
The body met Tuesday in Addis Ababa in its 88th ordinary session chaired by Ambassador Baso Sangqu of South Africa and considered, among other issues, a report from AU interim chairman Amara Essy on the evolution of the peace process in Burundi.

A release issued Wednesday the central organ expressed satisfaction with last December's cease-fire agreement between the Transition Government in Burundi and the Pierre Nkurunziza wing of the rebel CNDD-FDD movement.

It said agreement, which came after an earlier accord signed 7 October 2002 between the Transitional Government and Jean Bosco Ndayikengurukiye's CNDD-FDD faction and Alain Mugabarabona's PALIPEHUTU-FNL, was a significant step in the peace process in Burundi.

The organ condemned the ambush of a convoy of vehicles travelling towards Bujumbura on 12 January 2003, in which several people were killed and many others wounded.

It stressed the urgent need to deploy an African mission to supervise the cease-fire concluded in the agreements of 7 October and 2 December 2002.

Experts from the AU and UN begin meeting Wednesday in Addis Ababa to discuss the nature of the proposed African mission.