HC Deb 21 February 1996 vol 272 c150W
Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the stocks of arms available to different factions in Burundi. [16172]

Mr. Hanley

We have made no such assessment.

Mr. Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions representatives of Her Majesty's Government have had with the Burundian Government. [16191]

Mr. Hanley

The British ambassador in Kigali visited Bujumbura from 24 to 26 January, when she met a number of Minister and political leaders. Baroness Chalker is due to meet the Burundi Minister in London on 22 February.

Mr. Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held(a) bilaterally and (b) through the European Union regarding the situation in Burundi with (i) the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, (ii) the Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity and (iii) the Secretary-General of the United Nations. [16173]

Mr. Hanley

We have maintained close contact with the UN Secretary-General about the situation in Burundi and have played an active part in discussions in the UN Security Council. We have also supported EU efforts, including the appointment of an EU special representative for the Great Lakes region, and a further visit to Burundi by the EU troika on 12 February. Additionally, we have kept in touch with the Organisation of African Unity secretariat, bilaterally and through the EU troika. There have been no recent discussions with the Commonwealth Secretary-General about Burundi, although we are in close touch with a number of Commonwealth leaders in the region who have an important role to play.

Mr. Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of and what steps he has taken to monitor the situation in Burundi. [16171]

Mr. Hanley

We continue to monitor closely the fragile situation in Burundi. We are giving full support to the efforts of the UN, OAU, regional leaders and the EU to promote political progress.