Key developments since May 2003: Burundi ratified the Mine Ban Treaty
on 22 October 2003 and it entered into force for Burundi on 1 April 2004. There
have been continued allegations and indicators of use of antipersonnel mines by
government forces and FNL rebel forces. In June 2003, the government and UNICEF
organized a workshop on the implications of the Mine Ban Treaty for Burundi. On
15 December 2003, the former main rebel group, the CNDD-FDD, committed to a
total mine ban. In February 2004, both the government and CNDD-FDD participated
in the first international workshop on the mine issue held in Burundi. At the
same time, the ICBL held a regional Landmine Monitor researchers meeting and the
Burundi Campaign to Ban Landmines was launched. Burundi said that the number of
mines in stock and retained will now have to be revised to take CNDD-FDD stocks
into account. The 2 December 2002 cease-fire agreement between the Burundi
government and the CNDD-FDD obliges the parties to mark mined areas, to provide
maps of mined areas, and to demine, but it did not appear that either side had
begun this process by mid-2004. The UN peacekeeping mission in Burundi (ONUB),
established on 1 June 2004, is authorized to coordinate and conduct mine action
activities. UNMAS is establishing a mine action center at ONUB headquarters.
Between July and November 2003, with the support of UNICEF, Burundi conducted a
mine risk education campaign in the five most mine-affected provinces. In 2003,
174 new civilian mine/UXO casualties were reported, representing a significant
increase from the 114 casualties reported in 2002.
Key developments since 1999: Burundi ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on
22 October 2003 and the treaty entered into force for Burundi on 1 April 2004.
There have been credible, though not confirmed, allegations of antipersonnel
landmine use by government forces throughout the period. The government has
strongly denied the charges. CNDD-FDD rebel forces have acknowledged using
mines until December 2002. On 2 December 2002, the transitional government of
Burundi and the CNDD-FDD signed a cease-fire agreement that prohibits all laying
of mines by either party. It also contains obligations for marking and mapping
of minefields, as well as mine clearance, but it did not appear that either side
had begun this process by mid-2004. Burundi has declared a stockpile of 1,200
antipersonnel mines for training purposes only, but states that CNDD-FDD stocks
will now have to be considered.
Mine Ban Policy
After participating marginally in the Ottawa Process, Burundi signed the Mine
Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997. However, it did not ratify until 22 October
2003. The treaty entered into force for Burundi on 1 April
2004.[1] Officials attributed
the delay in ratification to the on-going conflict in the country, and the need
for the transitional government structures and institutions to take root.
Burundi has not enacted domestic implementation
legislation.[2] At a March 2004
regional landmine workshop, Burundi stated its intention “to proceed as
soon as possible” with such legislation and called upon the International
Committee of the Red Cross for
assistance.[3] Burundi's
initial Article 7 transparency report is due on 27 September 2004.
Even as a signatory, Burundi participated frequently in Mine Ban Treaty
meetings. It has attended all of the annual Meetings of States Parties,
including the Fifth Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, in September 2003, and most of
the intersessional Standing Committee meetings since May 2001, including those
in February and June 2004. Burundi participated in a workshop on Landmines in
East Africa, the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa held in Nairobi, Kenya, 2-4
March 2004. It attended other regional meetings on the mine issue in Bamako,
Mali in February 2001, and in Brussels, Belgium, on 12-13 November 2002.
On 27 June 2003, the Ministry of Interior and UNICEF organized a workshop in
Bujumbura called, “The Ottawa Treaty: What Implications for
Burundi?”[4] On 20
February 2004, representatives of both the government and the Conseil National
pour le Défense de la Démocratie - Forces pour la Défense
de la Démocratie (CNDD-FDD) participated in a workshop "From Bujumbura to
Nairobi: a road without mines?," organized by the International Campaign to Ban
Landmines (ICBL) and its local partner Centre d'Alerte et de Prévention
de Conflits (CENAP). At the same time, ICBL’s Landmine Monitor
researchers from Francophone Africa met for the first time in Burundi for their
annual meeting.[5]
The Burundi Campaign to Ban Landmines was launched at the workshop. CENAP
and the International Center for Research and Dialogue Initiatives (CIRID) serve
as coordinators, and the Burundi Human Rights League “Iteka”
("Dignity"), the Observatory of Governmental Action (OAG), the Scouts
Association of Burundi, and the Collective of Youth Associations are the main
member organizations.
Burundi is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.
Production, Transfer, Stockpiling
Burundi is not known to have produced or exported antipersonnel mines.
Burundi officials have given contradictory information about possible
stockpiled mines in the past.[6]
Since August 2001, Burundi has stated repeatedly that it has a stockpile of only
1,200 antipersonnel mines, and that the mines are kept solely for training
purposes.[7] Landmine Monitor
has noted for several years that allegations of use by the Burundi Army in
recent years have cast doubt on that claim.
In March 2004, an official said that "with the cease-fire with CNDD-FDD and
the probable joining of the other armed movement PALIPAHUTU-FNL, the quantity of
antipersonnel mines under the control of the government might
change."[8] Similarly, in June
2004, Burundi told the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction that with the
cease-fire, CNDD-FDD stocks now have to be considered. He said that new
information on the number of antipersonnel mines to be destroyed and the number
to be retained for training will be included in Burundi’s first Article 7
report.[9]
The CNDD-FDD has called for complete destruction of stockpiles, including
those mines kept for training
purposes.[10] At a press
conference in Bujumbura on 5 January 2004, it announced its intention to destroy
all of its mines.[11] At one
point, the CNDD-FDD said it would destroy its stockpile, with the technical
support of the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD), during the ICBL/LM
regional meeting in Burundi from 18-21 February
2004.[12] However, CNDD-FDD
reportedly decided the date was "premature for technical and political
reasons."[13] No new date has
been set. The stockpile reportedly contains just ten antipersonnel mines of
Russian origin, one antivehicle mine and two improvised explosive
devices.[14] The CNDD-FDD said
its stockpile is composed of Army mines it cleared or captured from
soldiers.[15]
Landmine Monitor was unable to obtain information on the stockpile of
FNL-PALIPAHUTU rebel forces.
Use
All editions of Landmine Monitor Report have cited credible
allegations of antipersonnel mine use by both government and rebel
forces.[16] Allegations of mine
use have come from a variety of sources: United Nations officials; international
and national NGOs; diplomats; international and national media, including local
radio programs; refugees; mine survivors, their families and witnesses; and
rebels and military requesting anonymity. Burundi officials have regularly
denied such allegations, and have on several occasions invited the international
community for a fact-finding/investigation/verification
mission.[17]
Landmine Monitor has received reports about use of mines by the Army since
1996.[18] In its first report
in 1999, Landmine Monitor cited reports that antipersonnel mine use became
"quite frequent to protect isolated military posts from rebel attacks at night,"
and that "rebels also use antipersonnel mines to protect retreat
routes."[19] In subsequent
reports, it was alleged that the Burundi Armed Forces laid mines on the border
with Tanzania, both to prevent refugees from fleeing the civil war, as well as
to control cross-border attacks and infiltration by Tanzania-based
rebels.[20] The Army reportedly
also used mines to protect isolated military posts and major economic
infrastructure such as electric pylons.[21] In 2002-2003 there was an
escalation of the civil war in Burundi, and an increase of mine
use.[22]
Based on a mission to Burundi in November 2002, Landmine Monitor Report
2003 noted that numerous humanitarian relief providers and diplomats
interviewed at that time expressed their concern that since mid-2002, there had
been an increase in mine use by rebel groups, but mostly by the Burundi
Army.[23] Landmine Monitor also
documented information on a number of incidents giving credence to the
allegations of continued use by the Burundi
military.[24]
On 2 December 2002, the transitional government of Burundi and the CNDD-FDD
signed a cease-fire agreement that prohibits all laying of
mines.[25] It contains
obligations for demining, marking of contaminated areas, and providing
maps.[26] The agreement also
states that specific attention should be paid to combatants and civilians
disabled by the war.[27]
Burundi reportedly also used mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
specifically in the Uvira region in South Kivu, close to the Burundi border, in
2000 and 2001.[28] Burundi
denied these
allegations.[29]
Possible Recent Army Use
A number of mine incidents, as well as statements by Burundi officials and UN
representatives, give rise to concerns of continued mine use by the Burundi
Armed Forces in this reporting period (since May 2003), though Landmine Monitor
cannot determine with certainty when the mines were laid, or by whom. On 21 May
2003, two women, one 21 and the other 22 years of age, were injured by a mine
when they passed a military position near a camp for internally displaced
persons in Nyabiraba commune, Bujumbura Rural
province.[30] On 2 August 2003,
three women and a 13-year-old girl were injured by a mine while they were
getting water at a well at the military post for Raro, Kiyenzi zone, Kanyosha
commune, Bujumbura Rurale
province.[31] On 3 September
2003, three people were reportedly killed and another four were injured in
several mine incidents in Mayange zone, Mugina, Kayogoro commune, Makamba
province. According to a media report, one mine had been laid in a manioc field,
a tripwire mine was placed in a banana plantation, and a third mine exploded at
6 p.m. that day. Soldiers had forbidden the population in the area from all
movement between 5 p.m. and 6
a.m.[32]
On 13 February 2004, a 23-year-old man was injured by a mine, reportedly near
a military position that had been abandoned a few minutes earlier, in Bugarama
commune, Gahuni zone, in the province of
Muramvuya.[33] On 17 March
2004, a 9-year-old child was seriously injured when the mine he was playing with
exploded in his hand. The incident occurred at the Kivoga site for internally
displaced in Mutimbuzi commune, Bujumbura Rural
province.[34]
In an interview with IRIN (the UN Integrated Regional Information Networks)
in August 2003, the governor of Rural Bujumbura placed responsibility for the
presence of mines "on the belligerents in the country's 10-year civil war."
However, he reportedly added that "government forces may plant them to protect
their positions and sometimes may forget
them."[35] In January 2004, an
Army spokesperson who requested anonymity told IRIN that the army had laid mines
in some hills surrounding Bujumbura to curb FNL infiltration into the
city.[36] In an interview with
Landmine Monitor, another official of the Ministry of Defense stressed that mine
use is not a formal Army practice, but noted that it was possible that
individual soldiers used
mines.[37] According to a news
report, in August 2004 the UN Secretary General’s special representative
for Burundi denounced increased human rights abuses and increased clashes
between the Burundi Armed Forces and the FNL, and cited an escalation of
landmine accidents in Bujumbura Rural
province.[38] In a report
issued following a landmine assessment mission to Burundi in October 2003, a
consultant for UNICEF concluded that government forces continued to lay mines
after Burundi ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 22 October
2003.[39]
Use by Non-State Actors
On 15 December 2003, the CNDD-FDD signed the Geneva Call Deed of Commitment
pledging a comprehensive ban on antipersonnel mines. Although no longer a
non-state actor since joining the transitional government, the movement still
controls its own troops.[40] At
a press conference in Bujumbura on 5 January 2004, the Secretary-General of the
CNDD-FDD admitted its former rebel movement had laid mines and appealed to the
Burundi Army and the Forces Nationales de Libération (FNL) of Agathon
Rwasa to stop using mines, to destroy their stockpiles, and to clear the mines
they had laid.[41] In
subsequent interviews with Landmine Monitor and at a February 2004 landmine
workshop, the CNDD-FDD again admitted having used antipersonnel mines prior to
15 December 2003, adding they "shared the blame however with the government
forces."[42]
Burundi officials have repeatedly accused rebel forces of using
mines.[43] In April 2004, the
Army accused the FNL of "using antipersonnel mines more and
more."[44] In particular, the
Army accused the FNL of having laid mines in Rural Bujumbura in March 2004 and
on 4 April 2004, when four soldiers were wounded and one killed on patrol in
Muhata commune, 25 kilometers south of
Bujumbura.[45] The rebel
spokesman Pasteur Habimana confirmed the fighting, but denied that they had laid
mines.[46]
Landmine Problem and Survey
The exact scope and nature of the landmine and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
problem in Burundi remains
unknown.[47] The most heavily
mine/UXO affected province is Bujumbura Rural, even more so since fighting there
in July 2003 and August 2004. Other areas where mine incidents occur include
Makamba, Rutana, and Ruyigi along the eastern border with Tanzania; Bubanza and
Kayanza in the north; and Muramvya, Bururi, and Cibitoke on the border with the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
In May 2004, the CNDD-FDD informed Landmine Monitor that its fighters had
laid mines in Bigwago, Buga, Bugerere, Buhemba, Busasa, Gasana, Gitwa, Kayenge,
Kayogoro, Kibago, Marembo, Muguruka, Nyabaraga, Nyarubanga, Nyarubindi and
Nyanza Lac in the province of Makamba; in Biharo and Gatonga in Rutana province;
in Rugazi and Kirama in Bubanza province; as well as along the edge of the la
Kibira, and Bukeye in Muramvya
province.[48] The mines used
were improvised explosive devices attached to antipersonnel mines of Soviet
origin.[49]
According to 2002 UNICEF figures, there were 23 mine-affected communes in
Burundi.[50] For 2003, Landmine
Monitor counts 27 mine-affected communes in only five out of Burundi’s
fifteen provinces, based on casualties in those locations. The number of
affected communes over the whole territory is most likely higher. Landmine
Monitor has also been told that some electrical infrastructure is protected by
antipersonnel mines. The pillars along the line between Bubanza and Bujumbura,
and the line between Bubanza and Ndava, are reportedly surrounded by electric
wire fencing, with antipersonnel mines inside the fence lines. This electrical
infrastructure is said to be under the protection of an Israeli firm, AD
Consultants.[51]
According to a consultant for UNICEF’s Eastern and Southern Africa
Regional Office (ESARO) who conducted a mission in Burundi from 15 to 24 October
2003, the mine threat consists of defensive mining of military positions,
electric pylons, and in some case IDP camps, by government forces, as well as
"barrier" minefields established by government forces along the border with
Tanzania to “prevent
infiltration.”[52] He
reports that rebels carried out small-scale "terror" mining of paths and areas
controlled by their forces.[53]
He added, "With the exception of the Tanzanian border (and more recently around
the capital) extensive minefields appear to be rare. Mines laid around
government positions are usually temporary and often removed and used elsewhere
when the unit moves on. There have been problems of mines being missed during
removal and causing injury to the civilian population weeks or months later. The
laying of mines around electricity pylons is a particular problem for the
civilian population."[54]
Incidents are likely to increase with as many as 500,000 refugees estimated by
UNHCR to return to Burundi in the next three
years,[55] especially in Makamba
province with the return of refugees from
Tanzania.[56]
The 2 December 2002 cease-fire agreement between the Burundi government and
the CNDD-FDD obliges the parties to mark mined areas, to provide maps of mined
areas, and to demine. It did not appear that either side had begun this process
by June 2004. Mined or suspected areas are not marked or fenced. At a March
2004 regional landmine workshop, Burundi reported that while mapping and marking
has not been carried out, preliminary assessments have been carried out in six
out of 17 provinces. It was noted, “No plan of action has yet been
drawn, but there is a clear will from all actors to address the
problem.”[57]
Between 7 and 17 March 2004, the NGO DanChurchAid conducted an assessment
mission in Burundi, including provinces bordering Tanzania and the Kibondo
refugee camps in Tanzania. It concluded that "although the mine problem [was]
limited to specific provinces in Burundi, in those it [presented] a significant
humanitarian problem, even more so as the large repatriation of the refugee and
internally displaced population is
expected."[58] In Makamba
province fertile agricultural land is mined, preventing people, including
returning refugees, access to land needed for their
survival.[59] Beginning in May
2004, DanChurchAid planned to launch a survey, marking and mine clearance
program in Makamba
province.[60]
Mine Action Coordination and Planning
The Department for Civil Protection (DCP) in the Ministry of Interior and
Public Security is in charge of mine action in Burundi. After the heavy
fighting in Bujumbura in July 2003, the DCP installed a "red line" that can be
dialed directly to rapidly alert police in case a suspect device is
found.[61]
The UN peacekeeping mission, United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB), in
Burundi since 1 June 2004, is authorized to coordinate and conduct mine action
activities in support of its
mandate.[62] Following a UN
Department of Peacekeeping Operations assessment mission to Burundi from 21 to
29 February 2004, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) started establishing a mine
action center within UNOB Headquarters in Bujumbura to support the new
peacekeeping mission in
Burundi.[63] As of mid-2004,
three international NGOs (Handicap International, DanChurchAid and the Swiss
Foundation for Mine Action) were preparing to implement mine risk education
projects and emergency surveys in the
country.[64]
The Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD), together with its local partner
CIRID, developed a mine action plan to create local demining structures in the
short term, and a national autonomous demining capacity in the long
term.[65] FSD plans to carry
out a combined impact and technical
survey.[66] Any survey and mine
clearance activity would also be accompanied by mine risk
education.[67] The total
budget for the FSD program for six months in 2004 is SFR880,183 (about
$687,000).[68] The cost of mine
risk education during that period is budgeted at SFR88,028 (about
$69,000).[69]
Mine Clearance
In February 2004, Burundi announced it could achieve a mine-free status
within ten years, and "probably even within three years if it had international
assistance."[70] However, no
humanitarian mine clearance has been conducted in Burundi, and no concrete mine
action plan has been
established.[71] Currently,
populations such as those living in Mutimbuzi commune in Rural Bujumbura
province try to clear the mines by setting their fields on
fire.[72]
At a press conference in Bujumbura on 5 January 2004, the Secretary-General
of the CNDD-FDD announced the intention of its forces to clear the mines the
former rebel movement had laid in different
areas.[73] He recommended the
creation of a neutral civil demining
body.[74]
In January 2004, Belgium stated it would be "entirely available to contribute
if a mine clearance program was set up in
Burundi."[75]
Between 1 July and 8 August 2003, one soldier received trained in demining
techniques at the regional mine clearance training center in Ouidah,
Benin.[76]
Mine Risk Education
At the 27 June 2003 workshop in Bujumbura on the Mine Ban Treaty, the
Ministry of Interior and Public Security presented its 2003 mine risk education
(MRE) action plan.[77] It was
focused around “a media campaign, including the training of grass-roots
community trainers on the risk posed by mines and the setting up of a data bank
detailing mine victims and informing such victims on how to get
assistance.”[78]
According to a UNICEF report, all staff working on the MRE program are ex-police
or military, and they are not trained in educational techniques or
health-related issues.[79]
Between July and November 2003, with the support of UNICEF, the Department
for Civil Protection conducted an MRE campaign in the five most mine-affected
provinces: Rutana, Bubanza, Makamba, Ruyigi and Rural Bujumbura. Its objectives
were to ensure that, by 2 November 2003, at least 25 percent of the population
in the hills most at risk would have had access to mine risk education; that
knowledge of the Mine Ban Treaty would have been reinforced among all parties to
the conflict, at both the local and national level; that conditions would be in
place for a mission to assess the needs of mine survivors; that a minimum of 20
percent of survivors who do not have prostheses would be informed of the
possibilities of support; and that a pilot phase for national coordination of
MRE by the DCP would have been
completed.[80]
To reach these objectives, initial contacts with all relevant government and
civil structures were to be made; at the community level, each provincial
coordinator was to hold 64 MRE meetings, providing 70 percent of the population
around each site with MRE messages; 40 mine action committees were to be created
in each province, of which 25 were to be active by November 2003; four,
three-day training sessions were to be provided to teachers in affected areas in
each province; five emergency MRE kits were to be created, and five emergency
MRE activities carried out; a local launch of the program was to be held in each
of the five targeted provinces; and begin identifying victim assistance
programs. Additionally, “Operation Radio” was to be launched,
including the production of an MRE radio series and briefing of radio
journalists. Finally the MRE program would create a minefield marking group
consisting of military, government, and possibly NGO personnel, to meet for the
first time in September 2003, and to have marked 25 areas by March
2004.[81]
UNICEF’s regional office (ESARO) evaluated the program and found that
although initial contacts have been made and the program launched to some
extent, it was not clear how widely information had been disseminated. No
emergency kits had been prepared, nor had radio activities been undertaken. No
mine groups had been formed nor had any material for minefield marking been
budgeted for or procured. No MRE sessions had been held in Rugazi, Muzigati or
Mpanda. Although probably priority zones, these areas have been inaccessible to
government personnel.[82]
In Bubanza, twenty committees have been created, but none are operational.
One training session took place for twenty-five primary school teachers and
administrators have been trained. In Bubanza, approximately 2,000 leaflets were
distributed. ESARO noted that 45-minute MRE sessions were lectures to groups of
between 30-100 individuals of all ages, with very limited scope of participation
of any kind, and the only tools available for the sessions were the
leaflets.[83]
According to an August 2003 activity report, a total of 387 people received
MRE information. This figure represents far “less than the 70 percent
target for these areas (population for Gitanga commune is 36,000). It would
appear unlikely that the methodology used for dissemination of messages will
have allowed for a good retention of messages. MRE sessions are generally held
between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.. Given that most of the active population are in
their fields or engaged in other household or income generating activities
during this period, it is unlikely that those most at risk are being directly
targeted successfully. ESARO concludes that the impact of the approach for MRE
sessions likely is ‘extremely
limited.’"[84]
ESARO is concerned that the DCP has "substantially undershot its
targets."[85] Colonel Nimbesha
indicated that one reason for the delay in attaining targets was the attack on
Bujumbura in July 2003. Delays in accessing funding from UNICEF were also
identified as slowing down the
program.[86]
Since May 2004, following an assessment mission in March 2004, DanChurchAid
is conducting mine risk education for refugees in the Kibondo refugee camps in
western Tanzania.[87] One
member of the DCP MRE team based in Makamba province provides MRE information to
refugees at the crossing point of Cankuzo. It is estimated that approximately
200 to 300 refugees are briefed each
week.[88] However, if the number
of returning refugees substantially increases, it will be "necessary to review
and strengthen this
process."[89] UNICEF believes
that the need for MRE is likely to increase as a number of refugees might return
to Burundi and the internally displaced would have more freedom of
movement.[90]
In the future, Burundi’s mine risk education program is to be
coordinated by a steering committee of representatives of various ministries,
the UN and NGOs. It is to oversee the work of the national coordination office,
to include a project coordinator, an information system manager, and five
provincial coordinators. The provincial coordinators will be assisted by two
facilitators providing the links with the communities, while at the community
level MRE activities will be undertaken by mine action committees. As of
September 2004, the committee was not yet in place. Its coordinator also
functions as the head of the Public Security department.
In 2003, the Burundi mine risk education program received US$110,535. In
2002, it received $29,098. Of the two-year total, $19,754 came form UNICEF
general funds and $119,879 from the Netherlands emergency funds. The money was
used for MRE consultants in 2002 and 2003, the purchase of a vehicle and
computer equipment, MRE training, and the development of a report on mine
victims in Burundi in
2001-2002.[91]
Landmine Casualties
In 2003, there were at least 174 new civilian mine/UXO casualties in Burundi.
However, it is likely that the number of reported incidents does not reflect the
actual number of mine casualties, as those who are killed or injured in remote
areas may not be reported.[92]
Information on military casualties is not publicly
available.[93]
The Department for Civil Protection reported 161 new civilian casualties in
2003, including 51 people killed and 110 injured; 33 were children. Three of
those killed were nationals from Tanzania. Casualties were reported in five out
of the 17 provinces: Bujumbura Rural (51), Rutana (39), Makamba (30), Bubanza
(23), and Ruyigi (18). Antipersonnel mines were the cause of at least 118
casualties.[94] Other reports
claim that four people are killed by mines every month in the southern province
of Makamba, most are refugees coming home from
Tanzania.[95] In addition, five
people were killed and five injured in four reported mine incidents in Kayanza
province.[96] In Cibitoke
province, a 14-year-old boy was injured by a mine in September
2003.[97] Landmine Monitor
identified two Burundian landmine casualties hospitalized inside Tanzania in
2003.[98] Several animals were
also killed by antipersonnel
mines.[99]
Casualties continue to be reported in 2004. In the first three months, the
Department for Civil Protection recorded 27 civilian mine/UXO casualties (five
killed and 22 injured) in five
provinces.[100] In addition,
two people were injured in Muramvuya province and one injured in Bururi province
in three mine incidents.[101]
One soldier was killed and about 15 others injured in several antipersonnel mine
incidents in March and April in Bujumbura Rural
province.[102]
There is no systematic national data collection mechanism in Burundi,
however, between November 2002 and January 2003 UNICEF conducted a survey on
civilian casualties in 2001 and 2002 to determine the extent of the mine and UXO
problem in the country.[103]
The national survey was not exhaustive and it is believed that not all mine/UXO
casualties were identified. According to other humanitarian actors, mine
incidents were becoming “more and more frequent” in
2002.[104]
In 2002, there were at least 114 new civilian mine/UXO casualties (26 killed
and 88 injured), including 23 children. Antipersonnel mines caused 87
casualties; antivehicle mines caused eight, and UXO caused 19. In 2001, 116 new
civilian mine/UXO casualties (18 were killed and 98 injured) were reported,
including 18 children. All the casualties were caused by antipersonnel
mines.[105]
The total number of mine casualties in Burundi is not known. In 1998, a UN
Assessment Mission to Burundi reported that landmines had caused 487 civilian
casualties (300 killed and 187 injured) and 304 military casualties (92 killed
and 212 injured).[106] However,
other sources report 364 mine casualties (52 percent killed) between 1996 and
1998; the majority of casualties were due to antivehicle
mines.[107] In December 2000,
an international aid worker reported that there were about two new mine
casualties each month along the Tanzanian
border.[108]
Survivor Assistance
Burundi's healthcare system has deteriorated since 1993, and the availability
of qualified staff, basic medical supplies and medicines is limited. Emergency
care at the site of a mine explosion and fast transport to the nearest health
facility are reportedly almost non-existent. Five hospitals can provide
specialized care for mine casualties; however four are in the capital,
Bujumbura. The Kamenge Military Hospital is the best equipped to provide
specialized trauma services, and rehabilitation. Serious cases are sent to
hospitals in Nairobi (Kenya) or in Johannesburg (South Africa) if necessary.
Physiotherapy and orthopedic services are inadequate to meet the demand, and
programs for psycho-social support are only in their infancy. The government
acknowledges the problems, but is limited by a lack of financial
resources.[109] In July 2004,
the government signed a memorandum of understanding with UNHCR, UNICEF and WHO
to improve the quality of healthcare through the rehabilitation of ten hospitals
and 200 health centers in ten provinces and the provision of equipment and
essential medicines.[110]
Since 2000, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has supported
hospitals and health centers in Bujumbura, Gitega, Kamenge (military hospital),
Kirundo, Muyinga, Ngozi and Ruyigi with medicines and surgical supplies. The
supplies enabled the hospitals to provide surgical treatment for 136 mine
casualties: 37 in 2003; 25 in 2002; 69 in 2001; and five in 2000. In September
2003, around 30 surgeons and nurses participated in a week-long seminar on war
surgery at the Prince Regent Charles Hospital in Bujumbura; in 2002, 24
Burundian and expatriate specialists were
trained.[111]
At least 53 Burundian mine casualties have also received treatment in
hospitals in Tanzania; two in 2003; eight in 2002; and 43 in
2001.[112]
Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) continues to provide basic
medical and surgical care to civilians in the Bujumbura, Bujumbura Rural,
Cankuzo (until April 2004), Karuzi, and Makamba provinces, and provides a
referral service and transport to rehabilitation facilities.
Burundi has nine physical rehabilitation centers; however, their capacity to
provide assistance varies. Three of these centers also provide vocational
training.[113] The quality of
some prostheses is reportedly
poor.[114] Over the past five
years, there has been limited improvement in the area of physical rehabilitation
particularly in the production of prostheses and other assistive devices,
through the training of technicians and better infrastructure at some
facilities.[115]
Handicap International (HI) has a program to assist people with disabilities,
including war victims and mine survivors. HI supports three orthopedic
workshops, the Saint Kizito Institute in Bujumbura, the National Rehabilitation
Center in Gitega, and the Center Saint Jean-Bosco in Muyinga, with the supply of
equipment and material, production of technical aids, and training of
technicians and physical therapists. In 2003, the three centers assisted 2,311
people, including ten mine survivors, produced 131 above- and below-knee
prostheses and distributed six wheelchairs and 126 tricycles; 41 prostheses were
produced in 2002. HI provided training for 19 orthopedic technicians and 46
physical therapists/assistants at the three centers in 2003; 24 technicians and
41 physical therapists received training in 2002. HI is also active in raising
awareness of the needs and rights of persons with disabilities and in the
creation of a database on associations of persons with
disabilities.[116]
The Saint Kizito Institute in Bujumbura is a residential school,
rehabilitation center and orthopedic workshop for children; 143 children have a
disability, including ten mine survivors. The workshop and rehabilitation
center assists about 70 people each month. Since 2001, about 100 mine survivors
have been assisted at Saint
Kitizo.[117]
The National Rehabilitation Center in Gitega is the only state-run
rehabilitation center. From January 2000 to February 2004, at least 15 mine
survivors received treatment and prostheses; most were brought to the center by
MSF from Makamba province. It is believed that many more mine survivors need
assistance but cannot access the center. One mine survivor, at the center in
February 2004, was injured in Makamba in 1997 and was only recently able to
travel to Gitega to be fitted with her first artificial limb. Immediately after
the mine explosion it had taken three hours to walk to the nearest health
post.[118]
In May 2002 a South African company, African Medical Assistance, entered into
an agreement with the Institute of National Social Security (INSS) for the
supply of prostheses, linked to a physical rehabilitation training program and
support for local
authorities.[119]
In 2001, the Indian NGO Help Handicapped International started the Jaipur
Foot Center in Bujumbura, as part of a program supported by the Rotary Club of
Bujumbura to produce and fit artificial limbs. In 2003, 111 amputees were
fitted with prostheses free-of-charge; eight were mine survivors. From 2001 to
September 2004, 636 prostheses were produced, including 28 for landmine
survivors.[120]
The local NGO, Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Services, provides
counseling to persons traumatized by the war in Gitega, Ruyigi, Ngozi, Muramvya
and Makamba; 11 mine survivors were assisted in
2003.[121] The Burundian
Association for Assistance of the Physically Disabled and the Union of Disabled
Persons also provide psychosocial support to persons with disabilities,
including mine
survivors.[122]
In December 2000, the National Army launched a program to train 140 disabled
military personnel in computer skills, electrical trades, masonry, or carpentry;
many were reportedly mine survivors. When training is completed, the graduates
are returned to military barracks to carry out activities relevant to their
training. The Army plans to continue the program, which assists only military
personnel.[123]
Disability Policy and Practice
No specific disability law
exists.[124] Only two
provisions relate to people with disabilities, the social security law 1/010 of
16 June 1999, and the decree-law 1/024 of April 1993, Reforming the Persons and
Family Code, art. 359-370.[125]
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Promotion of Women is responsible for issues
relating to mine survivors and other persons with disabilities, but collaborates
with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Displaced and Repatriated
People.[126]
The cease-fire agreement between the Burundi government and the CNDD-FDD
stipulates that particular attention should be paid to combatants and civilians
disabled and mutilated by the
war.[127]
Military mine survivors who cannot return to duties receive a pension from
the Ministry of National Defense. Civilian survivors employed by the government
are entitled to a pension, if contributing to the INSS. Farmers, who are the
majority of the casualties, do not get any
compensation.[128]
In February 2002, the government introduced a “cost recovery”
system, in which the patient must pay for medical treatment and medicines. This
policy reportedly excludes almost one million people (about 20 percent of the
population) from access to
healthcare.[129]
[1] The treaty was ratified with Law 1/010
of 22 July 2003; the instrument of ratification was deposited at the United
Nations on 22 October 2003. [2]
Interview with Adrien Ndikuriyo, Director, Engineers Department, Ministry of
Defense, Geneva, 23 June 2004. [3]
Statement by Burundi, Workshop on Landmines in East Africa, the Great Lakes and
the Horn of Africa held in Nairobi, Kenya, 2-4 March 2004, reported in ICRC
Report on the Workshop, p. 12. [4]
Landmine Monitor Report 2003, p.
509. [5] ICBL, “Campaign Calls
on Burundi to Implement Landmine Ban,” Press Release, 20 February
2004. [6] In the past, some officials
said Burundi had no stockpiles at all, while others acknowledged having some for
training purposes. There has also been different information about what happens
to mines seized from rebels. Some officials declared such mines were always
destroyed, while others said the mines were sometimes kept by the Army. See
Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 538, and previous editions of the Landmine
Monitor. [7] Letter to the UNDDA
office and other international organizations in Geneva from the Permanent
Mission of Burundi to the UN in Geneva, 7 August 2001; letter to Landmine
Monitor (Mary Wareham) from Thérence Sinunguruza, Minister of External
Relations and Cooperation, 23 October 2002; interview with government
representatives, ICBL/LM regional meeting, Cercle Nautique, Bujumbura, 20
February 2004; Statements to the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction,
Geneva, 12 February 2004 and 24 June 2004 (Landmine Monitor/HRW
notes). [8] Statement by Burundi,
Workshop on Landmines, Nairobi, 2-4 March
2004. [9] Statement to the Standing
Committee on Stockpile Destruction, 24 June
2004. [10] Statement by CNDD-FDD
representatives, ICBL/LM regional meeting, Bujumbura, 20 February 2004;
statement by Hussein Radjabu, Secretary-General, CNDD-FDD, at the workshop
“From Bujumbura to Nairobi: a road without mines?” 20 February
2004. [11] “Burundi: ex-rebel
movement in plea over landmine use,” IRIN, 6 January
2004. [12] Interview with Gervais
Rufyikiri, Spokesperson, CNDD-FDD, Bujumbura, 16 February 2004; interview with
Patrick Hirard, Program Officer, Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD),
Bujumbura, 17 February 2004; letter of the CNDD-FDD to FSD, 24 January 2004;
Annex 2 of the document “Action contre les mines au Burundi,” p. 17,
provided by Hansjörg Eberle, General Director, FSD, 15 April
2004. [13] “Action contre les
mines au Burundi,” p. 6, provided by FSD, 15 April
2004. [14] Interview with Patrick
Hirard, FSD, 19 February 2004. [15]
Interview with Gervais Rufyikiri, CNDD-FDD, 16 February 2004; Statement by
CNDD-FDD representatives, 20 February 2004; Statement by Hussein Radjabu,
CNDD-FDD, 20 February 2004. [16]
Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p. 135; Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp. 153-154;
Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 199-202; Landmine Monitor Report 2002, pp.
538-540; Landmine Monitor Report 2003, pp.
509-512. [17] Letter to Landmine
Monitor from Amb. Thomas Ndikumana, Embassy of the Republic of Burundi,
Washington, DC, 30 August 2000; Statement by Burundi, Second Meeting of States
Parties, Geneva, 12 September 2000; Interview with Col. Juvenal Bujeje, Chief of
Operations, Ministry of Defense, Bujumbura 12 January 2001; Statement by
Burundi, Third Meeting of States Parties, Managua, 18-21 September 2001;
Interview with Col. Nicodème Nduhirubusa and Col. Juvenal Bujeje, Geneva,
30 January 2002; Letter to Landmine Monitor (HRW) from Col. Nicodème
Ndahirubusa, Advisor, Minister of Foreign Relations and Cooperation, 26 July
2002. [18] Médecins sans
Frontières-Belgique, “Récapitulatif des incidents par mines
au Burundi- Period 1996-1998,” p.
1. [19]
Ibid. [20] Landmine Monitor Report
2000, pp. 153-154; Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 199-202; UNICEF Burundi,
“Mine Victims in Burundi in 2001-2002,” 2003, p. 29; UNICEF Eastern
and Southern Africa Regional Office, “Summary Report of Findings And
Recommendations - Burundi Mine Action Program,” prepared by Andy Wheatley,
Consultant, undated 2004. [21] MSF,
“Récapitulatif des incidents,” p. 1; UNICEF, “Burundi
Mine Action Program,” 2004. [22]
“UNMAS Burundi assessment mission report,” in Mine Action Support
Group Newsletter, March 2004; Landmine Monitor Report 2003, pp. 509-512;
“Portfolio of mine-related projects 2003,” October 2002, pp.
66-67. [23] During the November 2002
Landmine Monitor field trip, numerous discussions were held with various
humanitarian relief providers participating in the weekly Contact Group Meetings
at OCHA as well as with diplomats, who have received mine-related information
through their military and rebel
sources. [24] Landmine Monitor Report
2003, pp. 509-512. [25] Article II.1.5
of the Cease Fire Agreement of 2 December
2002. [26] Articles B.1.6 and B.1.12
of Annex 1 to the Cease Fire Agreement of 2 December
2002. [27] Article 1.1.14 of Annex 1
to the Cease Fire Agreement of 2 December
2002. [28] Landmine Monitor Report
2001, p. 201. [29] Letter from Amb.
Ndikumana, 30 August 2000; Statement by Burundi, 2MSP, 12 September 2000;
Statement by Burundi, 3MSP, 18-21 September 2001; letter from Col. Ndahirubusa,
26 July 2002. [30] Information
provided to Landmine Monitor (Charles Ndayiziga) by Yan Lucia, Head of Mission,
Médecins sans Frontières-Belgique, Bujumbura, 22 March
2004. [31] Information provided to
Landmine Monitor (Charles Ndayiziga) by Lucia Casero Villar, Head of Mission,
MSF-B, Bujumbura, April 2004. [32]
Radio Publique Africaine, 4 September
2003. [33] Information provided by
Lucia Casero Villar, MSF-B, April
2004. [34]
Ibid. [35] “Burundi: Landmines
continue to kill, maim every year,” IRIN, 29 August
2003. [36] “Burundi: ex-rebel
movement,” IRIN, 6 January
2004. [37] Interview with Adrien
Ndikuriyo, Ministry of Defense, 23 June
2004. [38] “UN operation in
Burundi ‘strongly’ denounces acts of violence against
civilians,” AFP, (Bujumbura), 13 August
2004. [39] UNICEF, “Burundi Mine
Action Program,” 2004, p.
6. [40] Geneva Call, Press Release, 15
December 2003. [41] “Burundi:
ex-rebel movement,” IRIN, 6 January
2004. [42] Interview with Gervais
Rufyikiri, CNDD-FDD, 16 February 2004; Statement by CNDD-FDD representatives, 20
February 2004; Statement by Hussein Radjabu, CNDD-FDD, 20 February
2004. [43] Landmine Monitor Report
1999, pp. 135-136; Letter from Amb. Thomas Ndikumana, 30 August 2000; Statement
by Burundi, 2MSP, 12 September 2000; Interview with Col. Juvenal Bujeje, 8 May
2001; "Violent clashes raging west of Bujumbura," Panafrican News Agency, 15
March 2004. [44] “Trois rebelles
et un soldat tués dans l'ouest du Burundi” (Three rebels and one
soldier killed in west Burundi), Agence France-Presse, 5 April
2004. [45] Interview with Adrien
Ndikuriyo, Ministry of Defense, 23 June 2004; “Violent clashes,”
Panafrican News Agency, 15 March 2004; “Fighting between rebels and army
in southwestern Burundi kills four people,” Associated Press, 5 April
2004. [46] “Fighting between
rebels and army in southwestern Burundi,” AP, 5 April
2004. [47] “UNMAS Burundi
assessment mission report,” MASG Newsletter, March 2004; UNMAS, “New
Peacekeeping Operation in Burundi Includes Effort to Address Landmine
Problem,” Press Release, June
2004. [48] Interview with Col.
Godefroid Bizimana, CNDD-FDD, Bujumbura, 17 May
2004. [49]
Ibid. [50] UNICEF Burundi, “Mine
Victims in Burundi in 2001-2002,” pp. 12 and
23-24. [51] Interview with technician
of REGIDESO (National Water and Electricity Company), who requested anonymity,
26 November 2002. He said, “One is told that the electricity lines are
protected by the Israelis, but in reality, they are protected by antipersonnel
mines.” Also, interview with staff of ITEKA, Bujumbura, 4 November 2002;
interview with diplomat, who requested anonymity, Bujumbura, November
2002. [52] UNICEF, “Burundi Mine
Action Program,” 2004, p.
1. [53]
Ibid [54]
Ibid. [55] UN Security Council, Report
of the Secretary-General on Burundi, S/2004/210, 16 March 2004; “Burundi:
returning internally displaced in urgent need of assistance and
protection,” Refugees International, 24 May
2004. [56] UNICEF Eastern and Southern
Africa Regional Office, p. 2 and footnote 1: “The CAP for Burundi released
in November 2003 estimates a total of 750,000 IDP's and refugees of whom 200,000
are in camps in Tanzania.” [57]
Statement by Burundi, Workshop on Landmines, Nairobi, 2-4 March
2004. [58] Assessment mission letter
from Eva Veble, MRE-Advocacy Officer, DanChurchAid, 28 April
2004. [59]
Ibid. [60] Ibid; email to Landmine
Monitor (Marielle Hallez) from Eva Veble, DCA, 3 June
2004. [61] Mamadou Bineta,
“Burundi: armée et rebelles ont miné le pays,” InfoSud
(Syfia), 29 July 2003. [62] UN
Security Council, “Security Council, unanimously adopting resolution 1545
(2004), authorizes UN operation in Burundi for initial six-month period," 21 May
2004. [63] “24 June 2004 Update
of UNMAS report on assessment mission to Burundi,” provided to Landmine
Monitor, 25 June 2004; UNMAS, “New Peacekeeping Operation,” Press
Release, June 2004. [64] “24
June 2004 Update of UNMAS report on assessment mission to
Burundi.” [65] “Action
contre les mines au Burundi,” provided by FSD, 15 April 2004, p.
6. [66] Ibid, p.
8. [67] Ibid, pp.
9-10. [68] Ibid, p.
7. [69] Ibid, p.
15. [70] Statement by Col. Antoine
Nimbesha, General Director, Civil Protection Department, Ministry of Interior,
at the ICBL/LM/CENAP workshop “From Bujumbura to Nairobi: a road without
mines?” 20 February 2004; Statement by government representatives, ICBL/LM
regional meeting, Bujumbura, 20 February
2004. [71] Interview with Adrien
Ndikuriyo, Ministry of Defense, 23 June
2004. [72] Radio Publique Africaine, 8
June 2004. [73] CNDD-FDD, Press
Release, 5 January 2004; “Burundi: ex-rebel movement,” IRIN, 6
January 2004. [74] “Landmines
Threaten Burundian rural dwellers,” Panafrican News Agency, 6 January
2004. [75] Statement by Marc
Verwilghen, Minister of Cooperation and Development, Forum of the Partners of
Burundi, Brussels, Belgium, 13-14 January
2004. [76] “Benin Mine Clearance
Training Center,” provided to Landmine Monitor by Thomas Adoumasse, Deputy
Director, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, February 2004. [77] Landmine
Monitor Burundi researcher attended this
meeting. [78] “Burundi embarks
on awareness campaign on dangers of antipersonnel mines,” AFP, 27 June
2003. [79] UNICEF, “Burundi Mine
Action Program,” 2004, p.
3. [80] Ibid, p.
6. [81] Ibid, pp.
6-7. [82] Ibid, p.
8. [83]
Ibid. [84]
Ibid. [85] Ibid, p.
9. [86] Ibid, p.
8. [87] Letter from Eva Veble, DCA, 28
April 2004; email from Eva Veble, DCA, 3 June
2004. [88] UNICEF, “Burundi Mine
Action Program,” 2004, p.
2. [89]
Ibid. [90] UNICEF, “Mine Victims
in Burundi in 2001-2002,” p.
3. [91] UNICEF, “Burundi Mine
Action Program,” 2004, p.
4. [92] Interview with Lucia Casero
Villar, Head of Mission, MSF-B, Bujumbura, 22 March 2004; interview with Jean
Luc Klister, Director, UN Security Unit, Bujumbura, 4 February
2002. [93] Interview with Adrien
Ndikuriyo, Ministry of Defense, 23 June
2004. [94] Landmine Monitor analysis
of “Tableau Récapitulatif des données sur les victimes
civiles de mines antipersonnel et UXO (2003-March 2004),” Department for
Civil Protection, Ministry of Interior and Public Security, information sent by
Liliane Bigayimpunzi, UNICEF, Bujumbura, 25 May
2004. [95] “Burundi: ex-rebel
movement,” IRIN, 6 January
2004. [96] Information provided by
Lucia Casero Villar, MSF-B, 22 March 2004; and information provided on Radio
Publique Africaine and Radio Isanganiro, 13 February 2003; Radio Bonesha and
Radio Publique Africaine, 1 May 2003; and Radio Publique Africaine, 12 May
2003. [97] Information provided by
Lucia Casero Villar, MSF-B, 22 March
2004. [98] Landmine Monitor/Tanzania
field visit in Tanzania review of records from International Rescue Committee
dated 15 January 2002 to 11 March
2004. [99] Radio interview with a
veterinary surgeon and a farmer from Bujumbura Rural by Radio Publique
Africaine, 23 July 2003. [100]
Landmine Monitor analysis of “Tableau Récapitulatif,” 25 May
2004. [101] Information provided by
Lucia Casero Villar, MSF-B, 22 March
2004. [102] “Three rebels and
one soldier killed in west Burundi,” AFP, 5 April
2004. [103] UNICEF Burundi,
“Mine Victims in Burundi in 2001-2002,” 2003, pp.
7-11. [104] Information exchanged by
humanitarian actors at the weekly UN security briefings; interview with Ann
Ottosson, Senior Nurse, MSF-B, Bujumbura, 5 November 2002; interview with
Nicolas de Borman, Cordaid, 2 November 2002; interview with Stephane Lobjois,
Program Director, Handicap International, 2 November
2002. [105] UNICEF Burundi,
“Mine Victims in Burundi in 2001-2002,” 2003, pp.
11-12. [106] United Nations,
“Inter-Agency Assessment Mission Report, Burundi,” 24 August
1998. [107] MSF-B,
“Récapitulatif des incidents par mines au Burundi,” p.
1. [108] Aid worker interviewed in
confidence, 22 December 2000. [109]
Presentations by the delegation of the Republic of Burundi to the Standing
Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 10
February 2004 and 23 June 2004. [110]
“UN agencies team up to provide health care for refugees returning to
Burundi,” UN News Service, 22 July
2004. [111] ICRC Special Reports,
“Mine Action 2003,” Geneva, August 2004, p. 20; “Mine Action
2002,” July 2003, p. 19; “Mine Action 2001,” July 2002, p.
16; “Mine Action 2000,” July 2001, p. 13; telephone interview with
Gilbert Niyonkuru, Information Officer, ICRC, Bujumbura, 6 July
2004. [112] Landmine Monitor/Tanzania
field visits in Tanzania, review of records from International Rescue Committee
dated 15 January 2002 to 11 March 2004; UNICEF Burundi, “Mine Victims in
Burundi in 2001-2002,” p.
28. [113] Handicap International,
Landmine Victim Assistance: World Report 2002, Lyon, December 2002, p.
69. [114] Interview with Col.
Nicodème Ndhuhiribusa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bujumbura, 5 November
2002. [115] Landmine Monitor Victim
Assistance Research Coordinator visit to Burundi, February
2004. [116] Email to Landmine Monitor
(HI) from Juerg Friedli, Program Director, HI Burundi, 24 August 2004; email to
Landmine Monitor (HI) from Robert Burny, Technical Support Department, Handicap
International, Brussels, 4 August 2004; email to Landmine Monitor (HI) from
Stéphane Lobjois, Program Director, Handicap International Burundi, 2
July 2003; interview with Robert Burny, Desk Officer, Handicap International,
Brussels, 15 July 2003. [117] Notes
taken by Landmine Monitor Victim Assistance Research Coordinator during visit to
Saint Kitizo Institute, Bujumbura, 20 February
2004. [118] Notes taken by Landmine
Monitor Victim Assistance Research Coordinator during visit to the center; and
interview with Saku Bu Beolin, mine survivor, National Rehabilitation Center,
Gitega, 19 February 2004. [119]
Landmine Monitor (South Africa) interview with Christo Schutte, Africa Medical
Assistance, 2 July 2002. [120]
Interview with Anand Rairakhia, Rotary Club, Bujumbura, 21 September 2004;
Mahendra Gafurchand Mehta, Trustee, Help Handicapped International, Mumbai,
response to Landmine Monitor Survivor Assistance questionnaire, 20 August
2004. [121] Interview with
Béatrice Gakobwa, Psychologist, Victims of Torture project, Bujumbura, 5
July 2004; telephone interview with David Niyonzima, Secretary-General, Trauma
Healing and Reconciliation Services, 2 July 2004.
[122] Presentation by the delegation
of the Republic of Burundi to the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and
Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 23 June
2004. [123] Interview with Major
Haziyo Serges, Director, Cabinet of the Ministry of Defense, Bujumbura, 12
January 2001; interview with disabled soldiers, Bujumbura, November
2001. [124] Interview with Adrien
Ndikuriyo, Ministry of Defense, 23 June
2004. [125] Handicap International,
Landmine Victim Assistance: World Report 2002, Lyon, December 2002, p.
67. [126] Meeting with representatives
of the government, Landmine Monitor Researchers Meeting, Bujumbura, 20 February
2004. [127] Article 1.1.14 of Annex 1
to the Cease Fire Agreement of 2 December
2002. [128] Interview with Colonel
Nicodéme Ndhuhiribusa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bujumbura, 5 November
2002. [129] “Accès aux
soins de santé au Burundi, Résultats de 3 enquêtes
épidémiologiques,” Médecins sans Frontières,
March 2004, p. 52.