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Bujumbura-Burundi.
 
BURUNDI - NEGOTIATIONS.
 
PRESIDENT MANDELA TO PRESSURE TUTSI-OBEDIENT POLITICAL PARTIES SO AS THE ARUSHA ACCORDS BE SIGNED.
 
BUJUMBURA, JULY 30,  2000 (NET PRESS). WHILE MOST OF TUTSI-OBEDIENT POLITICAL PARTIES HAVE STATED THAT THEY WILL NOT SIGN THE ARUSHA DRAFT ACCORD THAT THE FACILITATION TEAM HAS SUBMITTED TO THEM, FORMER SOUTH-AFRICAN PRESIDENT AND MEDIATOR IN THE BURUNDI CONFLICT, NELSON MANDELA, HAS BEEN INDULGING IN EXERTING PRESSURE OVER THOSE POLITICAL PARTIES' LEADERS SO AS THEIR POSITION BE REVIEWED. IN LETTERS DATED JULY 27, 2000 SENT ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS TO EACH OF THOSE PARTIES' LEADERS, PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA RECALLS THAT LATER MARCH 2000, HE HELD SEPARATED MEETINGS WITH THEM AT THE END OF WHICH THEY HAND AGREED ON A THREE-STAGE METHODOLOGY TO BE ADOPTED : INITIALLY A GLOBAL DRAFT ACCORD WAS EXPECTED TO BE SUBMITTED TO ALL THE NEGOTIATORS SO AS THEY ANALYZE IT WITHIN A THREE-WEEK PERIOD AND BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THEIR FINAL PROPOSALS. DURING THE 2nd PHASE, THE NEGOTIATING PARTIES WERE TO CONVEY THEIR PROPOSALS TO THE FACILITATION TEAM SO AS IT FORMULATE ITS "COMMENTS AND CONSIDERATIONS" AND PRESIDENT MANDELA HAS ADDED IN THOSE LETTERS THAT SOME OF THOSE PROPOSALS MIGHT BE OKAYED WHILE OTHERS WOULD BE REJECTED. FINALLY THE FACILITATION TEAM WAS TO COME UP WITH ITS LAST PROPOSALS "TO BE ACCEPTED BY THE NEGOTIATORS WITHOUT ANY FURTHER COMMENT".
 
IN THOSE LETTERS, FORMER SOUTH-AFRICAN PRESIDENT,  NELSON MANDELA,  RECALLED INSISTENTLY THAT THE METHODOLOGY HAD BEEN THE RESULT OF A SOLEMN "YES" OBTAINED DURING MEETINGS WITH THE MEDIATOR ALONE AND LATER  ON IN THE PRESENCE OF DONORS, DIPLOMATS AND OTHER OUTSTANDING FIGURES PRESENT AT THE ARUSHA LAST PLENARY SESSION.  PRESIDENT MANDELA ADDED THAT THE LEADERS OF THE 19 NEGOTIATING PARTIES ARE "MEN AND WOMEN OF INTEGRITY  WHO ARE  NOT LIKELY TO VACILLATE OR BREAK A SOLEMN AND VOLUNTARY UNDERTAKING GIVEN TO THE FACLILTATOR". HE POINTED OUT THAT THE ACCORD WAS NOT ON 20 JULY, 2000 AS FORESEEN BECAUSE THE FACILITATION TEAM HAD NOT YET COMPLETED THEIR FINAL PROPOSALS. HE ADDED  IN THOSE LETTERS THAT HE WAS OF THE VIEW THAT THE TWO ESSENTIAL PENDING ISSUES WERE RELATING NAMELY TO THE NAME OF THE PERSON WHO WILL RULE DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD AND THE CEASE-FIRE DECLARATION. BARUNDI THEMSELVES SHOULD SETTLE THE FIRST  ISSUE WHILE PRESIDENT MANDELA PLEDGED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE ARMED GROUPS IN VIEW OF OBTAINING A PERMANENT CEASE-FIRE".
 
PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA RECALLED THAT THE LEADERS OF THOSE POLITICAL PARTIES SHOULD PROVE THAT THE ANALYSIS DONE BY ALL THE OBSERVERS ACCORDING TO WHICH NONE OF BARUNDI POLITICAL LEADERS REALLY CARES FOR HIS COUNTRY BUT THEIR ONLY THEIR PERSONAL INTERESTS WAS A FALSE ONE. HE ALSO INSISTED ON THE NEGOTIATORS' SEEING TO IT THAT THE ACCORDS BE RAPIDLY SIGNED, OTHERWISE HE THREATENED THAT HE WILL NOT ALLOW THE CONFERENCE OF BURUNDI DONORS TO BE HELD AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TO BE RESUMED UNLESS THE ACCORD IS SIGNED FIRST. WHILE YOU CHOOSE  THE LEADER OF THE TRANSITION PERIOD, YOU'LL HAVE PROVED WORTHY OF SUPPORT BY ALL THE LEADERS OF ALL THE SUB-REGION AND OF THE WORLD AS A WHOLE WHO ARE KEEPING ON SUPPORTING YOU", PRESIDENT MANDELA SAID FINALLY.
 
BURUNDI - POLITICAL PARTY.
 
"THE ARUSHA ACCORDS ARE A BAD COPY THAT SHOULD BE TORN OFF", SAYS MUKASI'S UPRONA WING.
 
BUJUMBURA, JULY 30, 2000 (NET PRESS). IN A DECLARATION DATED JULY 30, 2000, MUKASI'S UPRONA WING IS DENOUNCING  THE MANOEUVERS ORCHESTRATED BY THE INCUMBENT GOVERNMENT AIMED AT "PREVENTING BARUNDI FROM HAVING A CORRECT VISION". THROUGH THOSE MANOEUVERS, THE INCUMBENT GOVERNMENT IS TOYING WITH THE HOPE TO MOBILIZE BOTH THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL OPINION OVER WHAT IT "PRESENTS AS A PEACE ACCORD" IN SHORE. THUS, MUKASI WING OF UPRONA POINTS OUT THAT "THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP IS PURSUING ITS ETERNAL AIMS OF CONSOLIDATING IMMORALITY, ETHNIC RACISM, GENOCIDE AND GENOCIDAL ORGANIZATIONS IN BURUNDI INSTITUTIONS AND STRUCTURES" WHICH ARE TREASON ACTS.
 
FACING THAT SITUATION, MUKASI WING OF UPRONA IS CALLING ON BARUNDI PEOPLE FO FOIL THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF GENOCIDE, ETHNIC RACISM AND GENOCIDAL ORGANIZATIONS. AS FOR THE "FALSE PROCESS TERMED AS A PEACE PROCESS ADVOCATED BY THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP", IT BELIEVES THAT IT CAN NOT BE IMPROVED OR CORRECTED. TO THAT END THAT SAME ORGANIZATION IS OF THE VIEW THAT "LIKEWISE ANY PARTNERSHIP WITH GENOCIDAL ORGANIZATIONS, ARUSHA IS A BAD COPY WHOSE BARUNDI  PEOPLE HAVE THE IMPERATIVE OBLIGATION TO TORE OFF". MUKASI WING OF UPRONA IS FINALLY CALLING ON ITS FOLLOWERS, BARUNDI PEOPLE AND BOTH THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL OPINION AS A WHOLE "TO MOBILIZE ALL THEIR ENERGY IN VIEW OF ADVOCATING THE ONLY PEACE PROCESS VIABLE FOR BURUNDI AND THE GREAT LAKES SUB-REGIONAL COUNTRIES, NAMELY THE PROCESS OF BANNING GENOCIDE AND PROMOTING THE 'NO ANYMORE'". TO THAT END, ANTI-GENOCIDE AND ANTI-RACIST INSTITUTIONS MUST BE ESTABLISHED, SAYS M. MUKASI.
 
BURUNDI - TRADE UNIONS.
 
BURUNDI TRADE UNION ORGANIZATIONS PROTEST AGAINST "THE BLATANT VIOLATIONS OF TRADE UNION FREEDOM AND THE PROTECTION OF TRADE UNION RIGHTS".
 
BUJUMBURA, JULY 30, 2000 (NET PRESS). THE  PUBLIC PRESS CONFERENCE PLANNED FOR SATURDAY JULY 29, 2000 BY BURUNDI TRADE UNION ORGANIZATIONS DID NOT TAKE PLACE. ACCORDING TO PARTICIPANTS, PUBLIC SECURITY POLICE FORCES (PSP) WERE PRESENT THERE AND LOCKED THE DOORS FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED BY THE MAYOR OF BUJUMBURA CITY. ALL THESE THINGS ARE OCCURRING AT THE MOMENT WHEN THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF COSYBU (BURUNDI TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION) ELECTED ON 29 FEBRUARY 2000 HAD SENT A  LETTER DATED 29 JULY 2000 TO THE LEADER OF NGAGARA ZONE AND WITH  COPIES TO THE MAYOR OF BUJUMBURA AND PUBLIC SECURITY POLICE (PSP) COMMANDER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LABOR CODE.
 
IT IS WORTHWHILE RECALLING THAT THE TOPICS ON THE AGENDA WERE : "THE AUCTION OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND ITS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPACTS" ; "A DRAFT OF A FORCEFUL EARL RETIREMENT FOR EMPLOYEES" AND "TRADE UNION ORGANIZATIONS TODAY : OBSTACLES AND PROSPECTS". THE FIRST TOPIC WAS TO BE TACKLED BY PROFESSOR PAUL NKUNZIMANA, LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE OF BURUNDI UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES' TRADE UNION, AND THE 2nd WAS TO BE DEVELOPPED BY COSYBU NEW CHAIRMAN, DR PIERRE-CLAVER HAJAYANDI AND THE 3RD ONE BY MR. ILDEPHONSE NDAGIJIMANA, LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE OF POSTS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS TRADE UNION.
 
WHEN THE PRESS CONFERENCE WAS BANNED THE TRADE UNION ORGANIZATIONS DECLARED THAT THE SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN GENERAL AND OF TRADE UNION IN PARTICULAR IS BECOMING EXTREMELY WORRYING. ILO (INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION) NUMBER 87 CONVENTION ON TRADE UNION FREEDOM AND THE PROTECTION OF TRADE UNION RIGHTS AS WELL AS BURUNDI LABOR CODE ARE VIOLATED BY BURUNDI GOVERNMENT ON A SYSTEMATIC BASIS. IT IS TO BE POINTED OUT THAT THIS REPRESSION OF TRADE UNION ORGANIZATIONS TOOK PLACE AT THE MOMENT WHEN 'ILO' REGIONAL DIRECTOR (KINSHASA AREA) IS AT BUJUMBURA. IT IS ALSO TO BE POINTED OUT THAT THE JOURNALISTS WHO WERE PRESENT THERE TO COVER THE EVENT WERE ALSO TARGETTED BY PSP FORCES. TODAY TRADE UNION ORGANIZATIONS WONDER HOW THE SITUATION WILL EVOLUE NOW THAT THE GOVERNMENT WHICH IS EXPECTED TO SEE IF LAWS ARE ENFORCED, IS ITSELF VIOLATING THEM.
 
BURUNDI - ECONOMY.
 
THE WORLD BANK IS STILL AT BURUNDI ECONOMY'S BEDSIDE.
 
BUJUMBURA, JULY 30, 2000 (NET PRESS). A WORLD BANK DELEGATION SOJOURNED IN BURUNDI DURING THIS WEEK IN VIEW OF EXPLAINING TO BOTH TOPMOST OFFICIALS AND BUSINESSMEN THAT IT WAS WELL-FOUNDED TO ADHERE TO THE INSURANCE SYSTEM OF BRETTON WOODS MAIN  INSTITUTION. MM. YVAN ROSSIGNOL AND CYPRIEN SAKUBU, RESPECTIVELY REPRESENTATIVE OF MIGA AGENCY (MULTILATERAL INVESTMENT GUARANTEE AGENCY) AND ACA (AFRICA COMMERCE INSURANCE) HELD AN EXPLANATORY SESSION ON 26 JULY 2000 IN THE AFTERNOON AT 'MERIDIEN-SOURCE DU NIL' HOTEL. MR.  ROSSIGNOL EXPLAINED TO BUSINESSMEN THAT THIS KIND OF INSURANCE IS INDISPENSABLE FOR BUSINESSMEN WHO WISH TO INVEST IN HIGHLY RISKY COUNTRIES LIKE BURUNDI AND THAT THE RISKS COVERED ARE IN GENERAL THOSE NOT COVERED BY THE TRADITIONAL INSURANCE COMPANIES, AMONG WHICH  THE CASES OF WAR, CIVIL TROUBLES, EMBARGO, CURRENCY NON CONVERTIBILITY AND RISKS OF COMPULSORY PURCHASE. EVERY PARTICIPATING COUNTRY ENTERS A CREDIT AGREEMENT WITH THE WORLD BANK WHICH LENDS FUNDS THROUGH 'IDA' (INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY) AGENCY. HENCE ONCE BURUNDI ADHERES TO THIS SYSTEM, IT WILL BE GRANTED A US$ 5-10 MILLION CREDIT WHICH REPRESENTS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE GLOBAL PACKAGE ALREADY PLEDGED BY THE WORLD BANK.  AND TO BE A FULL MEMBER, BURUNDI SHALL PAY THE EQUIVALENT OF US$ 100,000.

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