| Date | 5 January 1996 |
|---|---|
| Started | 16:30 |
| Ended | 16:50 |
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The situation in Burundi Letter dated 29 December 1995 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/1995/1068)
| President: |  | Sir John Weston United Kingdom |
(The Presidency changes each month to the next member in alphabetical order) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Members: |  | Mr. Nkgowe Botswana |
 | Mr. Somavia Chile |
 | Mr. Qin Huasun China |
 | Mr. Elaraby Egypt |
 | Mr. Dejammet France |
 | Mr. Eitel Germany |
|
 | Mr. Mano Queta Guinea-Bissau |
 | Mr. Rendón Barnica Honduras |
 | Mr. Wisnumurti Indonesia |
|
 | Mr. Menzione Italy |
 | Mr. Wlosowicz Poland |
 | Mr. Park Republic of Korea |
|
 | Mr. Fedotov Russia |
 | Mr. Inderfurth United States |
|||
Expression of welcome to the new members of the Security Council and of thanks to the outgoing members of the Security Council
The President
As this is the first meeting of the Security Council to be held this year, I should like to welcome the new members of the Council: Chile, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Poland and the Republic of Korea. We all look forward with confidence to their participation in the work of the Council, which will be of invaluable assistance in the discharge of the Council’s enormous responsibilities as it tackles so many challenges.
I should also like to express the Council’s gratitude to the outgoing members for their important contributions to the Council’s work. The representatives of Argentina, the Czech Republic, Nigeria, Oman and Rwanda all, in an excellent manner, contributed their talents to the conduct of the business of the Council.
Expression of thanks to the retiring President
The President
I should also like to pay tribute to my predecessor, Ambassador Sergey Lavrov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, for the service he rendered as President of the Council during the month of December 1995. I express my deep appreciation to Ambassador Lavrov for the skilful manner in which he conducted the Council’s business last month. I have particularly admired his patience, courtesy, efficiency and thoroughness, as well as his quick-wittedness and his overall lightness of touch, and we have all also admired the way in which he was so ably assisted in his efforts by his entire delegation.
Adoption of the agenda
The situation in Burundi
Letter dated 29 December 1995 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/1995/1068)
The President
I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Burundi, in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure.
There being no objection, it is so decided.
The President
The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in the course of its prior consultations.
Members of the Council have before them document S/1995/1068, which contains the text of a letter dated 29 December 1995 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council.
I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to document S/1996/8, which contains the text of a letter dated 3 January 1996 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council.
Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council:
“The Security Council has considered the letter of 29 December 1995 from the Secretary-General to the President of the Council on developments in Burundi (S/1995/1068). The Council shares the Secretary-General’s deep concern at the situation in Burundi, which has been characterized by daily killings, massacres, torture and arbitrary detention. It condemns in the strongest terms those persons responsible for such actions, which must cease immediately. It encourages all States to take the measures deemed necessary to prevent such persons from travelling abroad and receiving any kind of support. It reiterates its profound concern about radio stations which incite hatred and acts of genocide and encourages Member States and others concerned to cooperate in the identification and dismantling of them. The Council calls upon all concerned in Burundi to exercise maximum restraint and to refrain from all acts of violence. It reiterates that all who commit or authorize the commission of serious violations of international humanitarian law are individually responsible for such violations and should be held accountable. In this context, it stresses the importance it attaches to the work of the International Commission of Inquiry established pursuant to its resolution 1012 (1995) of 28 August 1995 and undertakes to study carefully the letter from the Secretary-General dated 3 January 1996 containing an interim report on that work (S/1996/8).
“The Security Council is gravely concerned at recent attacks on personnel of international humanitarian organizations, which have led to the suspension of essential assistance to refugees and displaced persons and to the temporary withdrawal of international personnel. The Council welcomes the Secretary-General’s decision to ask the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to visit Burundi to discuss with the Burundi authorities steps that might be taken to defuse the situation. It underlines that the authorities in Burundi are responsible for the security of personnel of international humanitarian organizations and of the refugees and displaced persons there and calls upon the Government of Burundi to provide adequate security to food convoys and humanitarian personnel.
“The Security Council welcomes the assumption of his functions by the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Burundi and calls on all concerned to support his efforts. It commends the work of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in seeking to promote dialogue and national reconciliation in Burundi, as well as the role played there by the Organization of African Unity (OAU). It welcomes the decision of the OAU in Addis Ababa on 19 December 1995 to extend the mandate of the OAU Mission in Burundi for another three months and to strengthen the civilian component of the Mission. The Council also welcomes the outcome of the Cairo Conference of Heads of State of the Great Lakes Region on 29 November 1995, supports the work of the facilitators appointed by it and emphasizes once again the importance it attaches to all States acting in accordance with the recommendations contained in the Cairo Declaration as well as those adopted at the Regional Conference held in Bujumbura in February 1995. It stresses the importance of continued attention by the international community as a whole to the situation in Burundi and encourages Member States to intensify contacts and visits.
“The Security Council notes the proposals referred to in the Secretary-General’s letter of 29 December 1995. It will consider these and other proposals he may submit in the light of the reports of Mrs. Ogata’s mission and from his Special Representative in Burundi. It also requests the Secretary-General to consider what role United Nations personnel in the region and other support personnel might play in Burundi.
“The Security Council reaffirms its support for the Convention of Government of 10 September 1994, which constitutes the institutional framework for national reconciliation in Burundi and for the institutions of Government established in line with it. It calls once again upon all political parties, military forces and elements of civil society in Burundi fully to respect and implement the Convention of Government and to give their continued support to the institutions of Government established in line with it.
“The Security Council will remain seized of this matter.”
This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1996/1.
The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.
