Peace Fragile in Burundi, Group Says
According to the new Crisis Group report, Burundi's government must reach a substantive peace deal with the last real rebel group, the FNL, or risk jeopardizing its fragile democracy. The Crisis Group report looks at the requirement for an agreement between the FNL and the government of Burundi, noting that insignificant progress has been made since the opposing factions agreed to end their fighting nearly a year ago.
David Mugnier, the Central Africa Project Director for the Crisis Group, says in the press release for the report, "With tensions already high between the presidency and the opposition parties, government hardliners could use the failure of the negotiations with the PALIPEHUTU-FNL to justify suspending civil liberties and undermining democratic institutions."
The report also notes that international attempts to implement peace between the government of Burundi and the FNL have not succeeded, for multiple reasons, with blame attributable to both sides of the conflict. The Crisis Group, as outlined in the report, argues that the international community must recognize the urgency of the situation in Burundi, and must work for renewed negotiations between the FNL and the government of Burundi to ensure the peace. The report also calls on the government of Burundi to choose diplomatic efforts over the use of force.
At the same time, the Crisis Group says that regional partners and members of the international community must be willing and ready to sanction the FNL if the group fails to abandon violence and work toward peace. International Crisis Group's Program Director for Africa, Francois Grignon, says that "If the government continues to snub the rebels' repeated demands for integration, the PALIPEHUTU-FNL will never disarm and will continue to undermine the consolidation of peace in Burundi."
Additional information on this report can be obtained by contacting Nadim Hasbani in Brussels at 32 (0) 2 541 1635 or Kimberly Abbott in Washington, D.C. at (202) 785-1601.
The International Crisis Group is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization that works to prevent and resolve violent conflicts around the world. The Crisis Group currently focuses on approximately 60 countries and territories on four different continents.
Source: International Crisis Group Burundi Press Release
Published by Greg Reeson
I am a Featured Writer for The New Media Journal and a The Veteran's Voice. I also regularly contribute to GOPUSA and The Land of the Free. View profile
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