UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Friday welcomed the outcome of the summit of the Great Lakes Region on the Burundi peace process and called on the Burundi government and the political arm of the Hutu rebel National Liberation Forces (Palipehutu-FNL) to implement their agreement for an early end to the 15-year civil war.
"The Secretary-General is very encouraged by the outcome of the summit," said a statement issued by his spokesperson Michele Montas after the heads of state and governments of the Great Lakes region adopted a declaration to revive hopes of a final end to the deadly civil war in the central African country.
Ban called on the Burundi government and the Palipehutu-FNL "to implement their agreements and the steps outlined in the summit declaration in good faith, in full and with a sense of urgency and determination, so as to bring this last phase of the peace process to a successful conclusion," the statement said.
The civil war in Brundi, a central African country, has left 300,000 people dead since 1993.
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General expressed his gratitude to the leaders of the Great Lakes region, the African Union and South Africa "for their tireless efforts to help the Burundian people in their quest for durable peace, and encouraged them to remain actively engaged in support of the full implementation of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement," the statement said.
"The Secretary-General reaffirms the commitment of the United Nations to continue its support for the peace process, in full coordination with Regional and International partners, and to work with these partners in support of Burundi's peace and development agenda," the statement added.
The final statement, adopted at the Thursday summit in the Burundian capital of Bujumbura, was signed by Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza, Palipehutu-FNL Chairman Agathon Rwasa in the presence of several regional leaders, including Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who chairs the Burundi peace initiative.
The Burundian Government and the Palipehutu-FNL signed a cease- fire agreement in 2006, but its implementation had stumbled and both sides had remained at loggerheads over several points.