South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma — facilitator of the Burundi peace process — on Tuesday welcomed the United Nations Security Council’s resolution to deploy 5 650 military personnel and 120 civilian police in Burundi for an initial period of six months, beginning from June 1.
Zuma is currently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the launch of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.
His delegation includes Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
The United Nations Operation in Burundi (Onub) is intended to support the movement towards peace in that country.
It will take over from and include the African Mission in Burundi (Amib), which has played an interim role since March 2003, preparing the ground for UN involvement.
In a statement on Tuesday, Zuma assured the Security Council of South Africa’s continued participation in efforts to bring about peace and stability in Burundi.
He praised the leadership and staff of Amib, headed by Ambassador Mamadou Bah, the special representative of the AU in Burundi, for their hard work over the past year in fulfilling their AU mandate and doing so in an outstanding manner, despite the difficult conditions on the ground.
He also praised the South African soldiers who were part of the Amib force for their patriotism and dedication to finding peace and stability in Africa, and urged them to be as equally dedicated to the Onub as they were to the African Mission.
The deputy president also commended the Mozambican and Ethiopian soldiers, as well as observers from other countries on the continent, who formed part of the Amib.
A meeting on Burundi takes place in Pretoria on Sunday, which will be attended by three Burundi parties: Frodebu, Uprona and the CNDD-FDD of Pierre Nkurunziza.
A regional summit on Burundi will also take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on June 5.
Both events are aimed at taking the peace process forward, Zuma said. — Sapa