Burundian MPs diverge on period to be covered by Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The National Assembly passed yesterday the bill amending the law on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission after a heated debate about the delimitation of the period to be covered by that commission.

Aimée Laurentine Kanyana: “The CVR mission takes into account the moment when Burundi did not have credible institutions”

The passed bill notably provides for the extension of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission-CVR missions for the period from February 1885 (date marking the Berlin conference on the partition of Africa) to 4 December 2008, which was initially set between 1961 and 2008

Aimée Laurentine Kanyana, Minister of Justice explained that the government took into account the recommendations formulated by MPs. In a session held on October 10, MPs and Senators had recommended the government to expand the investigations’ period of the CVR on the colonial period, starting from 1885 until 2008.

Some MPs opposed the interval proposed by the government. MP Simon Bizimungu believes that this period would prevent Burundians, who want to know what happened after 2008 to achieve full reconciliation, from knowing the truth.

MP Fabien Banciryanino deplores the fact that the period post-2008 is ignored whereas it is characterized by crises and crimes that are still committed even nowadays.
Banciryanino said the Government had not taken into account the opinions expressed by MPs. “Parliamentarians had not only insisted on investigations that would cover the colonial period but also the post-2008 period,” says Banciryanino, wondering about the harm that the extension would cause after 2008.

Minister Kanyana has said the period takes into account the time that Burundi did not have credible institutions. It is also related to the socio-security context of the time. “From 2005 we have democratically elected institutions,” she said.

For Minister Kanyana, investigating this period would be questioning these institutions yet in place. “We would be questioning ourselves”

Pascal Nyabenda, Speaker of the National Assembly believes that crimes that are committed while there are judicial bodies must be punished according to the Burundi law. For him, in all cases, transitional justice cannot cover the post-conflict period. The bill was adopted by 98MPs out of 100 who were present in Kigobe Congress Hall.