HC Deb 17 December 2002 vol 396 cc704-5W
Mr. Joyce

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken to support the Transitional Government of Burundi since November 2001. [87148]

Clare Short

We are supporting the full implementation of the Arusha agreement on Burundi and the Transitional National Government, including through financial support for the peace facilitation process and for the costs of the South African security deployment in Burundi. We continue to work energetically in the international community including at the recent Donors Round Table Conference in Geneva to carry forward the Arusha agreement. We are playing an active role in encouraging international financial institutions to re-engage in Burundi, and are increasing our development assistance—including a $1 million contribution to the Burundi Multidonor Debt Trust Fund. We have posted a full-time DFID representative to Bujumbura to facilitate this increased activity.

Mr. Joyce

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department will be taking to support the recent peace agreement between the Transitional Government of Burundi and rebel group the FDD and to encourage peace talks between the Transitional Government of Burundi and rebel group the FNL. [87149]

Clare Short

We are actively engaged with our international partners in considering how we should respond to the proposed African Mission to support the Dares Salaam ceasefire agreement with the FDD. We are also in discussion with the Transitional National Government on their security sector reform needs to support the agreement. We are working closely with the FCO and international partners to help the facilitation efforts of the South Africans, Tanzanians, Ugandans and Gabonese to continue efforts to get the FNL to sign the ceasefire.

John Barrett

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what correspondence she has had with the Government of Burundi regarding alleged human rights violations against children held in detention centres; and if she will make a statement. [87171]

Clare Short

I have not had any correspondence with the Government of Burundi on this issue. According to the latest statistics published by UNICEF and Libejeun (a local NGO) there are currently 199 children in Burundian prisons.

Conditions appear to be well below international minimum standards. However, considerable improvements have been noted by Amnesty International and the ICRC over the last two to three years in prisons where ICRC have been paying monitoring visits and installing water and sanitation equipment. We are providing financial support to the ICRC programmes in Burundi and elsewhere in the Great Lakes. Our embassy continues to monitor the situation.