Bujumbura, 3 March 2003
1. At the invitation of the Chairman
of the Regional Peace Initiative on Burundi, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,
a Mini Summit was convened in Dar-Es-Salaam, on 1-2 March, 2003, with the
purpose of availing the signatory parties to the Ceasefire Agreement of
2 December, 2002, the opportunity to clear the outstanding issues, with
a view to, fully and expeditiously implementing the Agreement.
2. The Mini-Summit was attended by Presidents: Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda, Chairman of the Great Lakes Regional Peace Initiative on Burundi; Benjamin W. Mkapa of Tanzania, (Vice Chairman), and Deputy President Jacob Zuma, of South Africa, Facilitator in the Burundi Ceasefire negociations.
3. His Excellency, President Pierre Buyoya represented the Transitional Government of Burundi while the CNDD/FDD's Legal Representative, Mr Hussein Rajhabu, Secretary General of the Movement, represented Mr Pierre Nkurunziza and the movement.
4. A working document on the way forward presented to the parties by the Chairman, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni culminated in the following decisions:
i. Constitutional Legitimacy.
Both sides agreed on the need for a new Constitution for Burundi. In drafting the new Constitution, elements of the 1992 Constitution, the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement of 2000 and other related documents would be put into consideration.
ii. Issues Relating to Post - War Management.
Both sides agreed to share power in accordance with the 2000 Arusha Agreement and the 2 December 2002 ceasefire agreement. Details of the power sharing will be finalized among the parties in line with the said agreements.
It was further re-affirmed that all affected political players will be given immunity from persecution in the interim, in line with the Arusha Agreement of 2000.
iii. Both the Transitional Government of Burundi and the CNDD-FDD recommitted themselves to the Joint Declaration signed in Pretoria, on 27 January 2003, and to implementing the agreement relating to the uninterrupted distribution of food supplies and medicines to the members of the CNDD-FDD in the Bubanza and Ruyigi provinces of Burundi.
iv. All the parties welcomed the progress already made in the establishment of the African Mission in Burundi, and pledged their full support. In this regard, the Mini-Summit noted the positive developments such as the appointment of the Interim Chairperson of the Joint Ceasefire Commission, Elhadji Alioune Samba and the deployment of the African Union Observer Mission.
v. The Mini-Summit urged the two parties to supply all outstanding data relating to location and numbers of combatants to the Facilitator as a matter of urgency.