§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Arusha Agreement in Burundi. [48211]
§ Mr. Tony LloydThe British Government welcome the progress achieved at the first session of the Burundi Peace talks conducted from 15 to 21 June 1998 in Arusha, and the commitment made by all parties represented at the talks to engage in serious negotiations with the aim of resolving the conflict in Burundi.
We welcome the unanimous adoption by the parties of a declaration which includes a commitment to resolve the crisis by peaceful means and put an end to all forms of violence. We call on all armed parties to honour the commitment to suspend hostilities by 20 July 1998 at the latest.
We strongly encourage all parties to return to the negotiating table on 20 July, ready to start a second round of negotiations in the spirit of goodwill and commitment to dialogue indicated by their declaration. The UK and our European partners will continue to support the peace process and the efforts of former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere to bring about a durable solution to the Burundi crisis.