The UN Security Council on Tuesday commended the recent progress in the Burundian peace process with the disarmament of Burundi's last rebel group, its integration into government institutions, and its accreditation as a political party.
The president of the 15-nation Council for June, Turkish UN Ambassador Baki Ilkin, made the remarks in his statement to the press here after the Council met in an open session on the current situation of Burundi.
"The members of the Security Council commend the advances in the Burundi peace process, in particular the disarmament of the Forces Nationales de Liberation (FNL), its accreditation as a political party, its integration into national institutions and the release of children associated with it," the statement said.
"The members of the Security Council urge all Burundian parties, with the support of regional and international partners, to pursue their efforts to address the remaining challenges, in particular the completion of the disarmament, demobilization and integration process," the statement said.
"The members of the Security Council encourage the government of Burundi to pursue its efforts regarding peace consolidation challenges, in particular democratic governance, social and economic development, justice and security reforms and to continue to take steps to respect fully civil and political rights," the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Security Council also encourages the Burundian government "to improve human rights situation, including through fighting impunity and gender-based violence, establishing a National Independent Human Rights Commission," the statement said.
The Security Council members "express their appreciation of and continued support for the sustained engagement of South Africa as Facilitator, the Regional Initiative, the African Union and other international partners toward peace consolidation in Burundi," the statement added.
According to a timetable issued on April 17 by a task force set up by the South African mediation team to speed up the implementation of the peace accords between the FNL and the Burundian government, at least 3,500 FNL combatants will be integrated into the National Defense and Security Forces -- 2,100 in the army and 1,400 in the police.
The FNL, Burundi's oldest and last active rebel group, took up arms in the 1980s to free the Hutu people, majority ethnic group in the nation, from domination by the Tutsis, the minority group.