Guest of Honour, Dr Iqbal Kabir of UnicefExecutive Director of the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation Mr Joseph Butiko Excellencies and High CommissionersDistinguished inviteetes Ladies and gentlemen
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak at this launch of the book “Beyond Conflict in Burundi” by the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation. I represent one of the sponsors to the mediation initiated and led by the former President of the United Republic of Tanzania Julius Nyerere and later also the former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela, to bring peace to Burundi.
I am pround to do so. As you know, Sweden is a longstanding friend of Africa. We have committed ourselves since more than four decades ago to foster peace, development and democracy on the continent. Sweden is, if I dare say, one of the oldest and closest friends of Tanzania. Through all these years, Tanzania has stood out in Africa as a peaceful and stable island in a sea of upheaval and unrest. We have hailed and do hail Tanzania for its efforts at assisting its neighbours to reach peace. When Mwalimu took the initiative with Burundi, Sweden therefore did not hesitate to co-fund his endeavour, together with Canada and the European Commission. Honourable Judge Bomani coordinated the talks that led to the Arusha Peace Reconciliation Agreement of August 2000. A transitional government was installed a few months later. But it is today, in 2004, that the Arusha process could reap its greatest benefits.
At last, the main rebel group and the government of Burundi have concluded a cease-fire agreement and have declared their support for democratic elections in November. All political parties signatory to the Arusha Agreement have agreed to scrap ethnic political groupings and to share and alternate power at the presidential level. They have also agreed that the Senate should be in charge of ensuring that ethnic balance and fairness prevail.
All this is encouraging in a country ravaged by war for more than a decade. At least 250 000 people have died and more than half a million have become refugees, inside or outside Burundi. But this year, 27 000 of them have managed to return home from their safe haven in Tanzania.
Before the end of this month, the Security Council will decide on an expanded UN peace-keeping role in Burundi that can support the transitional government up to the general elections. This year will prove crucial for Burundi, - it is now, at last, time to consolidate the peace process that started in Arusha and I allow myself to feel cautiously optimistic. I am pleased that my Government has through a small financial contribution been able to help bringing the parties together and I firmly encourage the remaining warring party to lay down its arms and to join in the reconstruction of Burundi and the necessary reconciliation to follow. Time for war is over, let us hope that peace is here and here to stay.
I commend the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation for having compiled valuable experiences from the Facilitation Processes to bring peace to Burundi.
With the sincere hope that the book “Beyond Conflict in Burundi” will contribute to the general knowledge and understanding of peace processes in Africa and increase the capacity to resolve conflicts in the region, I hereby declare this book officially launched
Thank you