6 December 2007
Bujumbura — Pressure mounts on FNL-PALIPEHUTU leaders as the deadline for the end of the implementation of peace deals draws close.
In Addis Ababa, delegations from the Great Lakes region reiterated that movements of the FNL leaders will be curtailed after December 31, 2007, if it refuses to comply with the decision of the regional initiative for peace in Burundi to return to the truce monitoring commission before the deadline.
The spokesman of the President of the Republic, Mr. Léonidas Hatungimana, who took part to the meeting of the Tripartite Plus which was chaired by the American Secretary for Cooperation, Ms. Condoleezza Rice, said yesterday that the region deplored the move of FNL-PALIPEHUTU to pull out of the truce monitoring commission. Léonidas Hatungimana stated that names of FNL-PALIPEHUTU leaders will be put on the blacklist of most wanted people in the region if they fail to meet the deadline." He added that FNL-PALIPEHUTU leaders will be denied access to mass media as well.
The move of the region seems to be an anachronism as it lacks freshness and updates. The solutions applied to FNL-PALIPEHUTU issue were envisaged in past by past governments, but bore no results. CNDD-FDD leaders were denied access to mass media back in 2002, but it served against the government as it gave rise to false information, and journalists who broke the silence were put behind the bars.
FNL-PALIPEHUTU walked out of the truce monitoring commission after they were alleged by the South African guards of stealing their rifles. Instead of convincing the FNL delegation to return to Bujumbura with guaranties of security, the government of Burundi and the mediator in Burundi's peace process chose to sideline FNL-PALIPEHUTU leaders.
It has become plain that many of the so-called FNL combatants that the mediation and the government have supported have never been FNL combatants or were part of the wing of Jean Bosco Sindayigaya, another breakaway FNL leader, who worked for the government, but was arrested and sentenced, a few months ago, for a life imprisonment.
Recently, the decision of the national assembly to own the resolution of the FNL-PALIPEHUTU issue raised hopes among Burundians. The National Assembly decided the set up of a commission that would boost the talks between FNL-PALIPEHUTU and the government of Burundi. The recent words of the spokesman of the President of the Republic is now seen as a setback that will not contribute to create a climate of détente that must precede the return of the FNL leaders to the Truce monitoring commission.
In meantime, the Palipehutu-Fnl issued a press release alerting Burundi and the international community that CNDD-FDD government and the mediator Charles Nqakula are planning a systematic elimination of Pasteur Habimana, the spokesman of PALIPEHUTU-FNL, Rwasa Agathon, the president PALIPEHUTU-FNL, Nshimirimana Jonas, the general secretary of PALIPEHUTU-FNL, and Bariyanka Antoine a.k.a Shuti who is part of FNL Staff.
The press release asserts that those hired to execute the above Palipeutu-Fnl leaders were promised a ransom of 150000USD in total. The release also states that a 50000USD cash advance have already been given to them, and the remaining 100000USD will be given once the deed has been carried out.
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