Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-05-22-Speech-4-246"
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"en.20080522.30.4-246"2
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".
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen: firstly, the European Union called for the resumption of dialogue between the parties as the sole means of making progress towards peace and reconciliation, which is a fundamental expectation of the Burundian people. The European Commission is therefore delighted that, on 16 May 2008, a delegation from the Palipehutu-FNL – that is, the Party for the Liberation of the Hutu People-National Liberation Forces – returned to Bujumbura, and I hope that it will be possible for both sides to resume active talks.
I prefer to leave to one side the reply that I had prepared, for I have listened to a number of comments, and I feel that it is my duty to state a few facts.
I should like to say to you – to be brief and to avoid repeating the excellent speeches that I have heard, especially those made by Mr Hutchinson, Mr Kaczmarek and Mr Bowis – first of all, that the situation in Burundi today has nothing to do with ethnic problems and to suggest that it is an ethnic crisis is to look at it from a different and extremely dangerous perspective. Therefore, I am inclined to share Mr Hutchinson’s view, although I do regret somewhat that this debate is taking place here and now. It comes at rather an inopportune moment, for I feel that we must now give political dialogue a chance. Speaking as you have done, Mr Meijer, of an ethnic cause, is extremely dangerous guesswork.
Secondly, Mr Hutchinson pinpointed the following fact: the international community, caught up as we are, and this applies to the World Bank – I have spoken on the subject with Bob Zoellick – and to the Commission, caught up in our procedures that prevent us, when a country is plunged into formal democracy, from releasing funds to show that there is a dividend to peace; this is one of the reasons why Burundi is finding it difficult to get moving again, as is the case, for example, in Liberia, as is the case in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as is the case in any country that is categorised as a post-conflict country. We are caught up in our procedures, we have no flexibility and so we cannot offer a rapid response to these countries’ reconstruction needs, for this is where the real problem lies for Burundi.
I shall naturally refrain from commenting on the speech which called for the deployment of European military forces – I am not saying that this is a separate issue – but it is clearly an issue that is somewhat beyond the scope of this discussion. We continue actively to support Burundi, both politically and financially, in its peace-building and socio-economic recovery efforts. I should like to point out that our cooperation commitments for the period 2008-2013 currently amount to EUR 188 million, and it has been suggested that this funding might be further increased during the mid-term review. In this connection, I must tell you that the rule is that it will be possible to increase this level of funding only if Burundi has properly taken up all the funds allocated under the initial aid package. This is the rule, and I hope that the country will be in a position to benefit from this mid-term review.
The strategy adopted for this new period involves an increase in our budgetary support and identifies two areas on which attention should be focused: firstly, rehabilitation and rural development, which is clearly crucial for ensuring the survival of the populace; and, secondly, the healthcare sector. Our efforts to assist this country in its socio-economic recovery seek to demonstrate to the Burundian people what they can expect from the peace dividends as a stimulus to improve their situation. Burundi has been selected as a pilot country with a view to implementing the Council conclusions of November 2007, this has been mentioned, and I am delighted that is has been so selected. We have also agreed, together with the United Nations World Food Programme, to implement a pilot operation in Burundi, particularly in the area of education and the provision of canteens for schoolchildren, for it is clear that when children are provided with free meals, they will naturally want to go back to school. We shall also carry out a pilot case study that will include Burundi.
Moreover, I shall be visiting Burundi in the near future, as the Commission is very closely involved in all these mediation efforts. I should like to add that, when I was Foreign Minister, I participated directly in the Arusha negotiations with President Mandela, so it is a subject that I know rather well, and I can tell you, Mr Meijer, that the Burundian Constitution, the Burundian legislative system and the Burundian Parliament – the National Assembly and Senate – provide all the institutional solutions that are needed to bring the ethnic problem firmly under control. Therefore, it is not an ethnic issue, it is an issue of unease within the one ethnic group, rather than with the other group, and it is clearly a different problem from the one concerning the FNL. The FNL must now come to the negotiating table, turn itself into a genuine political party and participate in the country’s recovery and reconstruction."@en1
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