Background as Burundi installs transitional government

(1 Nov 2001)

Bujumbura, Burundi- 25 July 1996
1. Wide empty street on day of coup that brought Tutsi President Pierre Buyoya to power, ousting Hutu President Sylvestre Ntibantunghanya
2. Closed shops
3. Padlocked shop door
4. Several people walking down deserted streets
5. Various shots of army on streets and outside government buildings
6. U-N vehicle in streets
7. Barbed wire at road bloack
8. Various of army at road blocks

(MUTE) Burundi- 1988
9. Various of President Pierre Buyoya addressing crowd of supporters- before the coup that brought him to power

Bujumbura, Burundi -27 August 2000
10. Various of night attacks over Bujumbura suburbs

Bujumbura, Burundi- 28 August 2000
11. Various of burnt out cars in suburb of Bujumbura following night attacks
12. Various of body of victim killed in attacks

Arusha, Tanzania- 28 August 2000
13. Various of former U-S President Clinton in Arusha for Burundi peace talks
14. Various former South African President Nelson Mandela at peace talks in Arusha

Johannesburg, South Africa- 24 March 2000
15. Various of Mandela in his role as mediator in Burundi conflict, with Kabura Cossana, Commanding Officer of the F-N-L, Burundi's second largest Hutu rebel group

STORYLINE:

A transitional government is set to take charge in Burundi on Thursday.

The Security Council on Monday (Oct 29, 2001) unanimously approved a resolution of support for the proposed government.

But it also called for an end to hostilities under a year-old peace accord and expressed "deep concern at the ongoing violence and insecurity" in the central African nation.

The Security Council strongly endorsed a South African initiative for the establishment of an interim multinational security presence there.

Burundi's transitional administration, led by current President Pierre Buyoya, takes office on Thursday (Nov 1st, 2001) and is supposed to implement a power-sharing agreement aimed at ending the civil war that began in October 1993.

Burundi's civil war broke after Tutsi paratroopers assassinated the country's first democratically elected leader, a Hutu.

At least 200,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in Burundi's eight-year civil war that began in October 1993 after Tutsi paratroopers assassinated the country's first democratically elected president, who was a member of the majority Hutu community.

Since then Hutu rebels have waged a civil war, that have led to killings and human rights abuses by both sides.

Buyoya, will lead the interim administration, for its first 18 months with a Hutu as his vice president.

After that he is then supposed to step down and a Hutu will take over as president with a Tutsi as his deputy.

Current president Buyoya - a Tutsi - came himself to power in a military coup in 1996.

The Security Council resolution reaffirmed that the peace accord signed in August 2000 "remains the most viable basis for a resolution of the conflict."

Clinton and Mandela witnessed the signing of this peace accord in Arusha, Tanzania last year (2000)

The peace accord was signed by Buyoya's government, the National Assembly and 17 political parties, including seven Hutu parties, many of whose members live in exile.

The accord calls for an ethnically balanced legislature and army, but does not include provisions for a cease-fire.

Hutu rebels fighting the Tutsi-dominated army have refused to take part in the peace process and the conflict has intensified since the power-sharing agreement was signed.



The 2nd batch arrived on Tuesday and the last group will arrive on Thursday.



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