SCENESETTER FOR THE VISIT OF DEPUTY ASSISTANT

UNCLAS BUJUMBURA 000656 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/C E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINR PGOV BY PREL SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR THE VISIT OF DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS JAMES SWAN SIPDIS ¶1. SUMMARY: Your visit to Burundi comes at yet another critical time in the country's modern political history. President Nkurunziza,s administration faces significant political challenges that could destabilize the government if unadressed. Negotiations between the Government of Burundi (GOB) and the lone remaining rebel group, the PALIPEHUTU-FNL (FNL),broke down in July when FNL negotiators withdrew to the bush to &consult8 with their leader, Agathon Rwasa. Since then, a dissident FNL splinter group allegedly committed to a less confrontational posture came under attack in a Bujumbura suburb by pro-Rwasa FNL supporters, resulting in the deaths of at least twenty people. The inter-FNL skirmish has raised new fears for renewed conflict, however both sides maintain they are committed to implementing the accords of the September 2006 cease-fire agreement peacefully. ¶2. Successive episodes of corruption and a large civil service wage increase promised by the President have led to the temporary suspension of World Bank and other donor budgetary assistance totaling $93 million, pending a positive review by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of the current budget. The IMF has established several prerequisites the GOB must fulfill to be eligible for a positive review. In the meantime, civil servants, expecting a 34% salary increase promised by President Nkurunziza on May 1, have gone unpaid, taxes have increased, and many government programs go unfunded. ¶3. A political stalemate in the National Assembly and the Senate has added to the tensions in Burundi as each side tries to out blame the other for the impasse. In a frightening sign of the increasing hostilities, the homes of five parliamentarians suffered grenade attacks in a widely believed retaliation for signing a letter criticizing the government for its inaction. No one was killed in the attacks and all political parties have since committed to resolve the stalemate through dialogue, and tensions have abated significantly, for the moment. Throughout the disorder, the GOB remains committed to sending two battalions to take part in the AU Mission in Somalia. The US has committed to train and outfit one of the two battalions. END SUMMARY The Peace Process -------------- �00A;¶4. In September 2006, President Nkurunziza,s government signed a cease-fire agreement with the FNL, the sole remaining rebel group, which had remained outside the peace process. Nonetheless, the GOB faces significant challenges, which, if unresolved, could undermine its credibility and eventually lead to a return to violence. The mandate for the UN Operations in Burundi (ONUB) expired on December 31, 2006; its remaining military forces (a South African infantry battalion) were literally &rehatted8 to fall under African Union sponsorship. Several ONUB staff agencies were reconfigured in place to form the nucleus of the Integrated Bureau of the UN in Burundi (BINUB) to facilitate the FNL reintegration, among other security sector initiatives. ¶5. The government is now attempting to restart negotiations with FNL representatives to facilitate the demobilization and reintegration of former FNL combatants, and to integrate FNL political leaders into the current government. In July, the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JVMM) ceased to function, as FNL negotiators fled to the bush in dramatic fashion to &consult8 with their leader Agathon Rwasa. The GOB and the FNL have since promised a return to dialogue and agreed to a meeting between President Nkurunziza and FNL leader Agathon Rwasa. The Government of Tanzania (GOT), which hosts the FNL leaders, has given the two sides until December 31 to negotiate a settlement or lose GOT financial and logistical support for the process. Further complicating the negotiations, the FNL has written to the UN Secretary General, demanding South Africa be replaced as the facilitator for the FNL to continue to participate. ¶6. A group of so-called FNL dissidents allegedly weary of conflict and ready to implement cease fire accords with the GOB has formed, dividing the FNL. The group is apparently growing in number but is strongly opposed by forces loyal to FNL leader Agathon Rwasa. In a brazen show of force on September 3 and 4, pro-Rwasa troops attacked a contingent of dissident soldiers near the capital of Bujumbura, leaving at least 20 dead. An FNL spokesman confirmed after the attacks that troops must remain devoted to the FNL cause or risk the same fate as their colleagues. The Burundi Army has moved the dissident force away from Bujumbura for their security and has pledged to keep them protected. A senior Burundi military official said privately today that if the pro-Rwasa forces attacked the dissident FNL forces under the Burundi Army's protection, the Burundi Army would engage the attackers. Political Situation -------------- ¶7. A political stalemate is ongoing in the Burundi National Assembly, with the President's fractured National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) party unable to unite to pass legislation. Opposition parties have become emboldened by the crisis in the ruling party and have stepped up efforts to impose their political will on the GOB. Many of the parties are unfamiliar with the traditional role of an opposition party, and prefer to stymie the legislative process rather than compromise with opponents. The CNDD)FDD is currently split between supporters of the President and supporters of ex-party President Hussein Radjabu. (Note: Radjabu was arrested in April for &threatening state security.8 He remains imprisoned, pending appeal. End Note) ¶8. In late August, the homes of five parliamentarians suffered grenade attacks in apparent reprisal for signing a letter of dissent against President Nkurunziza. To date, no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but two body guards for one of the parliamentarians have been detained in connection with the incident. The home of Pancrace Cimpaye, spokesmen for the opposition Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU),was raided a day after he accused CNDD-FDD party president Jeremie Ngendekumana of orchestrating the grenade attacks. Cimpaye was not at home at the time and has since kept a low profile, remaining outside of police custody. ¶9. President Nkurunziza, under sustained pressure from the media, political parties, and the international community, reached out to opposition parties at the end of August to reestablish a dialogue and encourage them to work together for the people of Burundi. The talks have yet to resolve the stalemate in the National Assembly, but are widely perceived as a positive step in the right direction. Budget Issues -------------- ¶10. Notwithstanding the expectations raised by a highly successful donor conference in May, the Government of Burundi is currently facing a difficult financial situation. Because of a high profile embezzlement scandal involving local petroleum importing company Interpetrol and a promised 34% salary increase for civil servants, the World Bank, the EU, and Norway have yet to disperse upwards of $100 million in budget support funds. Dispersal of the funds is contingent upon IMF approval of the GOB budget. The IMF has already conducted five budget reviews this year and is planning a sixth review after the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Washington, D.C., October 19-21. ¶11. At the conclusion of its fifth budget review in August, the IMF delineated several prerequisites the GOB must meet before they will approve the budget. The IMF stipulated that Burundi must backtrack on the President's promised 34% salary increase, as the money to finance it is unavailable. Wages account for an astonishingly high 11%-12% of Burundi's budget, far more than in most developing countries where they account for only five to six percent. In an effort to further reduce wages, the government must also make a good faith attempt to demobilize additional soldiers and police this year. ¶12. The IMF also instructed the GOB to recoup some of the $17 million dollars that disappeared as part of an alleged illegal payment to Interpetrol. The missing funds were reportedly paid to the company to offset "exchange rate differentials" incurred by Interpetrol during the international embargo against Burundi during the civil war. The Minister of Finance has been replaced, the then Governor of the central bank arrested, and Interpetrol trucks seized at the border in an attempt to find the missing funds. The GOB has also secured a freeze on $6 million in Interpetrol funds in a local bank; however, the GOB has yet to gain access to the money. Finally, the IMF asked the GOB to increase taxes on several basic products, including gasoline, fizzy drinks, and sugar. While the GOB has promised to implement the taxes, so far only the tax on sugar has been levied. AMISOM Deployment -------------- ¶13. Burundi has pledged to support the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) with up to two battalions of roughly 850 soldiers each. The deployment has been delayed by the AU,s lack of organizational capacity, including its inability to find financiers for equipment and training for the volunteer troops. The United States has stepped in to provide African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) directed Expeditious Pre Deployment Training (EPDT) to the soldiers and will outfit one battalion with the full complement of equipment needed for the mission. The AU is soliciting other donors to finance the second battalion. The EPDT is currently underway and Burundian troops will deploy at the conclusion of the program and upon the arrival of all the necessary equipment. Conclusion -------------- ¶14. You visit here will help reinforce our message that the solution to the FNL problem is through peaceful negotiations, that this political impasse can only be solved through dialogue, and the GOB must take significant steps to arrest the continued corruption in this county. Only by addressing these issues head-on will the GOB be able to govern efficiently and prosper economically. Also, US support for the Burundi deployment to Somalia is strongly welcomed by the GOB in light of other donors inaction. Your welcome visit here will underscore our continuing commitment to Burundi's AMISOM deployment and to the country's future as a key strategic partner. MOLLER