The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

Referring to the outline of the case of Mr. Norbert Ndihokubwayo of Burundi, as contained in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/174/12(b)R.1), and to the resolution adopted at its 173rd (October 2003),

Taking account of the information provided by one of the sources on 15 April 2004 concerning the case of the Burundi MPs who were assassinated (Mfayokurera et al.),

Recalling that Mr. Norbert Ndihokubwayo was the target of two attempts on his life in September 1994 and December 1995, the former leaving him severely injured and the latter forcing him into exile; Mr. Ndihokubwayo has since been able to return to Burundi and to resume his parliamentary duties,

Recalling that on 6 April 2003 a six-member parliamentary group was set up by the Transitional National Assembly to work in close cooperation with the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Minister of Human Rights, Institutional Reform and Relations with the Transitional National Assembly to ensure, inter alia, that the investigations into the attempts on the life of Mr. Ndihokubwayo are reopened and these crimes are fully elucidated; the group started its work in June 2003, meeting with the Prosecutor General and the Minister of Human Rights, and delivering its first report to the National Assembly’s President in July 2003,

Considering that the working group enjoys the cooperation of the Government which was set up in December 2003 as a result of the peace agreement signed in October 2003 between the then government and the main rebel movement,

Considering that the group has achieved initial results in the case of the murder of MPs it is examining,

Noting finally that, once all hostilities have ceased, the United Nations international inquiry commission provided for by the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement will be set up, followed by the “Truth and National Reconciliation Commission”, for which a law has already been adopted,

1. Notes with satisfaction that the working group has already achieved results, although not in the case of Mr. Ndihokubwayo;

2. Is confident that the efforts of the group to ensure that justice is done will also produce results in this case, and awaits with interest the group’s next report;

3. Reaffirms that respect for the rights of the victims of human rights violations to truth, justice and reparation is an essential element in peace processes; earnestly hopes therefore that the international inquiry commission and the “Truth and National Reconciliation Commission” can start their work soon;

4. Requests the Secretary General to convey this resolution to the competent authorities and to inform the relevant international organisations of its work on this case;

5. Requests the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians to continue examining this case and report to at its next session, to be held on the occasion of the 111th Assembly (September-October 2004).

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