East African Business Week (Kampala)
Bobi Odiko
13 December 2008
opinion
There is no better way to end the year than the reassuring message of hope that Burundi is on the verge of return to normalcy.
This is as best a gift for Christmas as it can get for all citizens of the republic of Burundi. For the EAC, the pulsating news is also an icing on the cake for the region which began the year on the wrong foot of the ladder with Kenya's debacle following the bungled December 2007 elections.
The best part of the arrangement is that the new peace deal has been brokered and witnessed by leaders of the region in a move that could see peace finally hold.
The two protagonists in the hiatus - Burundi government and the PALIPEHUTU- FNL struck a deal in Bujumbura last week that was hitherto delayed by a dispute over the insurgents' transformation into a political party.
According to media reports, FNL which shall now take a new name will enjoy inclusiveness in the government taking up about 30 posts once it is formed. The parties also agreed on disarmament, de-mobilization and re-integration in a move that should see the release of political prisoners and prisoners of war.
In addition, the normalization of the peace process is a big boon to South Africa which played a leading role in the process, and to the African Union led by the current Chair and immediate former Chair of EAC Heads of State Summit Jakaya Kikwete. Hot on the heels of the successful Burundi talks, exciting news was stemming from Nairobi which hosted the next round of talks on the debilitating Congo crisis.
Peace talks between Congolese rebels led by General Laurent Nkunda and President Joseph Kabila's government have achieved "tremendous progress", according to the chief mediators Olusegun Obasanjo and Benjamin Mkapa.
The duo have recently visited President Kikwete and his Kenyan counterpart, Mwai Kibaki - the latter who also doubles as Chair of Great Lakes International Conference and the Congo Peace Process, to debrief them.
Over in Zimbabwe, there is also mounting pressure by African leaders to oust President Robert Mugabe who is furiously becoming the acclaimed despot of tyranny and oppressive rule. Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga has repeated the need for the AU to immediately formulate a resolution to send troops to Zimbabwe. Even stronger were the words of the Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu. Pressure groups at the EAC have continued to sustain the calls for the rule of law in Zimbabwe.
The East Africa Law Society brought together various stakeholders to discuss Zimbabwe earlier on in the year. Their consultation issued a communique that called on SADC and the African Union to urgently review its mediation process and to come up with and implement more practical interventions aimed at bringing an end to the untold suffering Zimbabweans are going through.
What is becoming increasingly clear is the role our region is playing in ensuring peace and security prevail at the EAC and the continent at large. This should not go unnoticed - the challenges we have faced notwithstanding, looking at how difficult a year it has been.
It is worth stating there are a few more months left for the region's star to shine and sparkle before the baton of the AU Chair is passed on. But we also need to remove the specks and logs before our very own eyes. According to Article 124, Partner States agree that peace and security are important pre-requisites for social and economic development within the East African Community, thus calling for joint mechanisms with a view to prevention, better management and resolution of disputes and conflicts.
In the foregoing, it is incumbent that the region remains hardhearted in ensuring there is peace and democratic ideals are adhered to. For that very reason, one hopes the Protocol on regional Peace and Security shall soon see the light of day once completed.
Finally, with the year soon coming to an end it is necessary to salute all those who lost their lives in 2008 for their stance and dedication in defending human rights and democratization of the nations of the region and the African continent.
The writer comments on socio-economic issues and is based in Arusha
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