PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Burundi: Armed Conflict (11 September 2015)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on progress by the Burundian government on establishing a truth commission.

Asked by:
Angela Rayner (Labour)

The Burundian government first submitted the Truth and Reconciliation Law to Parliament in December 2012 before announcing the appointment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on 3 December 2014. It has not reported further since then. We understand that opposition parties boycotted the process over the remit of the Commission, calling into question its ability to establish the truth and bring reconciliation. The UK Government believes that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, guided by the Arusha Agreement signed in the aftermath of Burundi’s civil war, has an important role in ensuring long-term reconciliation. The illegitimate elections and continued violence show that the principles of inclusion set out in the Arusha Agreement are needed now more than ever and we continue to urge all in Burundi to uphold them.
Answered by:
Grant Shapps (Conservative)
21 September 2015