U.S. Department of State
96/01/29 USUN Press Release #010-(96)
U.S. Mission to the United Nations 
 
 
 
 
FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY                  USUN PRESS RELEASE #010-(96) 
CHECK TEXT AGAINST DELIVERY                          JANUARY 29, 1996 
 
 
Statement by Ambassador Madeleine K. Albright, United States Permanent 
Representative to the United Nations, on the Situation in Burundi, in 
the Security Council, in Explanation of Vote, 
January 29, 1996 
---------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
Today the United Nations Security Council sends a clear message to all 
the people of Burundi: The violence must stop. 
 
In a letter to Burundian President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya that I 
personally carried to Burundi for President Clinton, the American 
President called on all Burundians to reject extremism and resolve their 
differences peacefully.  The United States will not support, recognize, 
or provide assistance to any government that comes to power by force in 
Burundi.  Indeed, the U.S. would lead an effort to isolate such a 
regime. 
 
Escalating violence in Burundi has pitted the Tutsi minority against the 
Hutu majority, resulting in widespread human rights abuses.  A wave of 
killings has claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians each week, and 
the Tutsi-dominated military and its auxiliary forces have driven many 
Hutus out of the capital, Bujumbura.  A rural Hutu insurgency is 
fighting back, targeting both Tutsi civilians and the military.  
According to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Special 
Rapporteur, "a smoldering civil war is spreading further and further in 
Burundi," giving rise to "an increasingly marked genocidal trend." 
 
Aid workers fear for their lives in Burundi.  Security for humanitarian 
workers must be increased or they will have to leave the country.  The 
U.S. calls on the Government of Burundi to guarantee the safety of aid 
workers. 
 
The United States deplores the continuing instability and violence in 
Burundi.  The U.S., along with other donor countries, is seeking ways to 
defuse tensions in that country.  The United States urges the leaders of 
Burundi to isolate the extremists and seek a lasting peace.  Ultimately, 
it is the people of Burundi who have it in their hands to prevent their 
country from falling into the abyss.  It is up to Burundians to ensure 
that Burundi does not commit national suicide.