BURUNDI - TALKING POINTS FOR DECEMBER 5

UNCLAS STATE 163965 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC PREL PHUM XB XC XE BM SUBJECT: BURUNDI - TALKING POINTS FOR DECEMBER 5 CONSULTATIONS ¶1. This is an action cable. Please see paragraph 2. ¶2. USUN is instructed to draw from the following points for their December 5 consultations on Burundi. Begin points: -- The United States is concerned about the fragile state of the Burundi peace process and calls on the PALIPEHUTU (PAH-LEE-PAY-HOO-TOO) FNL to return to the negotiating table, abstain from any further violence, and implement its agreement with the Government of Burundi (GoB) by December 31st. -- The United States is encouraged by President Nkurunziza's recent efforts to reach out to the political opposition in Burundi, which culminated in the allotment of several ministerial positions to opposition parties in November. -- The United States congratulates UPRONA Member of Parliament Yves Sahinguvu on his appointment as the new First Vice-President. We hope Mr. Sahinguvu will work together with President Nkurunziza to establish greater political cohesion and focus on the problems facing the country. -- The United States commends the work of the African Union and BINUB in facilitating the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between the GoB and the FNL and in providing support for the alleged FNL dissidents located in two camps north of Bujumbura. -- The United States commends the GoB for the fostering of good relations with its neighbors. On June 28, the National Assembly in Burundi ratified the Great Lakes Region's Pact on Security, Stability, and Development, making Burundi the first signatory to ratify the pact. Burundi also became a full-fledged member of the East African Community in July. Finally, Burundi is sending peacekeeping forces to the AU Mission in Somalia. -- The United States commends the Government of Burundi's and the Peacebuilding Commission's development of the Strategic Framework for Peacebuilding in Burundi. The monitoring and tracking mechanism of this framework will allow the PBC to review the progress in achieving the peacebuilding priorities laid out in the framework. We anxiously await the results of the projects funded by the Peacebuilding Fund and approved by the Joint Peacebuilding Steering Committee. -- The United States notes with concern the GoB's refusal to work with BINUB to develop an overall plan for security sector reform, opting instead to pursue parallel reforms in each pillar of the security sector instead. We stress the importance of a holistic approach to security sector reform and urge the GoB to ensure each sector is adequately addressed in their alternative plans. -- The United States remains deeply concerned by the human rights situation in Burundi. We are pleased the number of reported human rights violations committed by the Forces de Defense Nationales (FDN) had decreased, but are still disappointed by the high number of reported cases against the Police National de Burundi (PNB). Likewise, we are displeased that the investigations into the Gatumba and Muyinga massacres of 2004 and 2006 have not been concluded, nor have any of the perpetrators been brought to justice. We call on the GoB to increase human rights training in its police and armed forces to further reduce the amount of human rights violations committed by its personnel. We further call on the GoB to end the culture of impunity that currently exists for human rights violators. -- While the humanitarian situation in Burundi has improved over the past year, the United States remains concerned that hundreds of thousands of people in Burundi are still reliant on international food assistance to survive. RICE