The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

Referring to the case of the murder of the above Burundian parliamentarians, as outlined in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/178/12(b)-R.1), and to the resolution adopted at its 177th session (October 2005),

Taking account of the information provided by the Speaker of the National Assembly at the hearing held on the occasion of the 114th Assembly,

Recalling that in 2003 the then Transitional National Assembly set up a small parliamentary working group to look into the cases of the parliamentarians concerned, and also into ways and means of reactivating the investigations into their cases; that one of the suspects in the murder of Mr. Mfayokurera was apprehended, albeit in connection with another crime; that arrest warrants were issued for two people suspected of the murder of Mr. Ndikumana; recalling also that, in the case of Mr. Sirahenda, there were witnesses of his abduction in a jeep from Makamba military camp and of his killing,

Considering the following information provided by the Speaker of the National Assembly:

• The National Assembly elected in July 2005 has examined these cases from the start and intends to contact the victims' families shortly for the purpose of collecting as much information as possible before deciding whether or not to set up a follow-up working group; it had nevertheless found no trace in the parliamentary records of any report(s) by the parliamentary group set up under the previous legislature or of any other relevant investigative reports; similarly, a search in the Attorney General's office had yielded nothing;

• Discussions on determining the working methods and composition of the Joint Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which will be composed of foreign and Burundian members, are well under way; the parliament is actively involved in raising awareness among the Burundian population about the Commission, which should soon start its work and will focus on establishing the truth and on promoting forgiveness; however, should victims of human rights violations, or their families, not wish to pardon the perpetrators, they can resort to the courts; if the Truth and Reconciliation Commission concludes that genocide and crimes against humanity have taken place, such cases will be brought before a criminal court chamber to be constituted in such an event,

1. Thanks the President of the National Assembly for her cooperation and the valuable information she has provided;

2. Acknowledges the challenges that the present Burundian authorities, including the parliament, face in fostering reconciliation and their express commitment to firmly basing their efforts in this regard on the principles of truth and justice;

3. Is hopeful that the parliament's suggested course of action will help shed light on these murders; trusts that the necessary arrangements will be made to ensure that the results of the former parliamentary working group are taken into account by the current parliamentary authorities; requests in this regard the Secretary General to share the information on file with the Parliament and the Attorney General;

4. Recalls that clear leads exist in the cases of Mr. Mfayokurera, Mr. Ndikumana and Mr. Sirahenda which should allow the authorities to make progress in elucidating these murders and bringing the culprits to justice; would therefore particularly appreciate learning of any steps taken in this respect;

5. Reaffirms that the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and subsequently the special court chamber, can play an important role in helping shed light on these crimes and providing fresh impetus towards holding the perpetrators to account; sincerely hopes that the Commission will start its work shortly; and would appreciate being kept informed in this regard;

6. Requests the Committee to continue examining this case and report to it at its next session, to be held during the 115th IPU Assembly (October 2006).

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