The Security Council this afternoon unanimously encouraged the Secretary-General to continue consultations with concerned Member States and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on contingency planning to support a comprehensive dialogue and for a rapid response to widespread violence or a serious deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Burundi.

By adopting resolution 1049 (1996), the Council called upon all concerned in Burundi to engage, as a matter of urgency, in serious negotiations and mutual accommodation and to increase efforts towards national reconciliation.

The Secretary-General, in a report to the Council, had urged it to consider the possible establishment of a stand-by multinational intervention force to be sent to Burundi should large-scale ethnic violence erupt there.

The Council, by the resolution, also demanded that those concerned refrain from violence, incitement to violence and from seeking to destabilize the security situation or depose the Government by force or by other unconstitutional means.

The Secretary-General was requested to consult with the Burundi Government, the OAU, the European Union, Heads of State of the Great Lakes region and concerned Member States on the convening of a regional conference for peace, security and development.

Addressing the Council, the Permanent Representative of Burundi said the Burundian army was completely prepared to confront any expeditionary force from outside, regardless of any humanitarian intent. A military option would be counter-productive at a time all Burundians were agreed on a road to peace. The Security Council and the Secretary-General should support their efforts.

The Government and the army should be the ones to determine the timing or need for such intervention, he went on to say. The assertion in the Secretary-General's report that the army was divided along ethnic lines was unfounded. The army was unanimously opposed to outside intervention. Mass demonstrations against the interventionist force had taken place in the country, proving that the entire population was opposed to it, he stressed.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Italy (on behalf of the European Union), Egypt, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Chile, United States, Honduras, Russian Federation, China, Republic of Korea, Germany, France, Poland, Guinea-Bissau, Botswana, Norway, Tunisia (on behalf of the African Group), Rwanda, Congo and Nigeria.

The meeting convened at 11:30 a.m., and, following a suspension of more than three hours, adjourned at 5:50 p.m.

For further details please see source:
MEETINGS COVERAGE

For further details please see official record:
S/PV.3639

View moreView less