OCHA Situation Report
Burundi
8 - 14 September 2003


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Humanitarian Activities
1. UN agencies joint team investigates reports of fighting in west

United Nations humanitarian agencies have rushed a joint assessment team
to western Burundi following reports that civilians had fled rebel
fighting in Bubanza Province.  The UN Humanitarian agencies in Burundi is
also looking into reports that 17 civilians, including 14 children, were
killed near Cibitoke - some 40 kilometres west of the capital, Bujumbura
[11 September]. Humanitarian personnel have limited access to the area due
to a high degree of instability and insecurity.

2. World Health Organisation supports National Action plan against malaria
epidemics

In Burundi, malaria represents the first public health problem with 45.67%
morbidity.  Eight health provinces suffer from malaria epidemics on a
continuous basis, claiming lives of many victims, most of whom being
children (mortality rate: 53.02% under 5 years).  In other provinces,
malaria remains endemic.  The malaria new protocol implementing process
has commenced in order to organize the availability to a better treatment
next October.  With WHO Regional Office support to the implementation of
the new protocol, the Ministry of Health is elaborating a national action
plan which will allow evaluation of needs to reinforce capacities of the
existing system.

3. WFP Food distribution

UN World Food Programme (WFP) has provided over 4,000 Mt of food to
targeted and internally displaced populations, including the recently
displaced persons at Mpanda Commune (Bubanza Province) as a result of the
renewed clashes in Bubanza and Bujumbura Rural provinces.  This assistance
has also been delivered to displaced people from Ruyigi Province, who have
been inaccessible for several weeks.  These various distributions reached
approximately 339,000 people living in different provinces of the country.
Following the recent outbreak of insecurity, WFP remains in contact with
the local administration and all NGOs operating in the affected zones for
detailed information on the caseload and location of the civilians
displaced by hostilities in order to respond rapidly to their food needs.

4. Festive homecoming for Burundian refugees

More than 260 Burundian refugees from camps in western Tanzania have
returned home via the Gahumo border crossing in eastern Burundi (Cankuzo
province) on Monday [8 September] to the cheerful welcome of song and
dance by a local women's group. It was the first UNHCR-organized convoy to
enter Burundi through the newly-opened border crossing in Cankuzo
Province, which is the outcome of an agreement reached during a meeting
held on 20 August between officials from Burundi and Tanzania and UNHCR.

The convoy, which was escorted from Tanzania by a government delegation
headed by the Kibondo District Commissioner, was met in Burundi by Cankuzo
Governor, Rubuka Aloys. "We are here to show that we support and encourage
your return and invite you to contribute to peace and development of your
country," Aloys told the returnees, some of who were repatriating after 10
years in exile.

5. Returnees as at 4 September 2003

UNHCR: Report 20,001 facilitated, 35,573 spontaneous returnees.  Total:
55,574 Y.T.D.

Security

6. Rebel groups fighting in western Burundi

Burundi's two Hutu rebel movements -Forces for the Defence of Democracy
(FDD) and the National Liberation Forces (FNL) - are engaged since Sunday
[7 September] in unaccustomed clashes in Mubimbi (Bujumbura Rural
Provicne) and Mpanda (Bubanza Province) communes, respectively 30
kilometers east and 12 kilometers north, near the capital Bujumbura, rebel
and Army sources said Monday [8 September].

On Wednesday [10 September], local government sources of Bubanza and
Bujumbura Rural provinces reported that some 15,000 civilians fled
fighting to Mubimbi commune.  The reported clashes come on the eve of a
twice-delayed regional summit on peace in Burundi, which is due to be held
on Monday [15 September] in Dar-es-Salaam to discuss stumbling blocks in
the peace process, notably questions of power-sharing and the integration
of rebel forces into the army.

7. General

Seventeen [17] people including 14 schoolchildren and one soldier, have
been killed in ammbush in Burundi's northwestern provicne of Cibitoke [11
September] (Source: Provincial governor, Mr Benoit Ntigurirwa)

Over the last week, insecurity has been reported in Bujumbura Mairie,
(Kamenge, Kanyosha zones), Kayanza Province (Gatara Commune), Bubanza and
Ruyigi provinces.

Political

8. Burundi peace process in disarray ahead of regional summit

Burundi's peace process was in disarray Thursday [11 September] as
President Domitien Ndayizeye and the Head of the main rebel group failed
to hold face-to-face talks as planned, four days ahead of a regional
summit. The Burundi President dismissed his talks with Museveni as a "
step backward" for the peace process in Burundi.  "Regarding
power-sharing, there has been a step back compared with what was said to
the mediators during negotiations in Dar-Es-Salaam (Tanzania) and Sun City
(South Africa)", Ndayizeye told reporters on his return home from Kampala.

9. Peace mediators urge Burundi rebels to demobilise

"We think in so far that the various parties have signed for peace, it is
to their responsibility to tell their combatants to go to the
demobilisation centres so that the peace process can proceed," South
Africa's Mosiuoa Lekota told Reuters at the end of a one-day visit to
Bujumbura [Thursday, 11 September].  "We can't just bring a large number
of people if the ex-combatants come in small numbers," he said.

10. Commission signs country strategy paper for 2003-2007

The European Commission has signed a Country Strategy Paper (CSP) and an
Indicative Programme for Burundi outlining its cooperation with that
country for the period 2003-2007. The CSP constitutes the framework of
European Community cooperation with Burundi.  The main objective of the
strategy is to support the government of Burundi's poverty reduction
strategy and its efforts to rebuild a country overly weakened by ten years
of civil war.  EC assistance will focus largely on rural development, good
governance and macroeconomic support.  The strategy is backed by a budget
of 172 million Euros from the ninth European Development Fund (EDF).

11. Latest events

Burundi's African Union peacekeeping force gets 25m-euro financial boost
from European Union - Mr Said Djinnit, the AU commissioner in charge of
peace and security issues, announced this at the end of a meeting he held
[12 September] with vice-president of the republic, Mr Alphonse-Marie
Kadege.

Mozambique will be sending a contingent of 200 soldiers to Burundi to
participate in the peacekeeping under way in this Great Lakes country.

A consultative Meeting bringing together Representatives of the AU
Commission, the Troop-contributio-ng COuntries (TCC) to the African
Mission in Burundi (AMIB), namely South Africa, Ethiopia and Mozambique,
and the United Nations, was held in Bujumbura from 8th to 12th September
2003.

The Minister of Communication and Spokesperson for the Transitional
National Government of Burundi ordered suspension for a week of Isanganiro
radio station programmes following interview with Agathon Rwasa's
Spokesperson [13 September].

Coordination

12. Contact Group meeting

Mr Antoine Gérard, OCHA Head of Office, chaired the meeting [10
September]. Participants: 33.  Mr Antoine Gérard announced his departure
from Burundi on 24 September.

13. GTS

Held on Monday [8 September].  Participants discussed activities
undertaken during September and October missions.

For Information: Nicholas McGowan, Head of Information, PH: (257) 951 681,
Email: mcgowann@un.org


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