The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

Referring to the case of Mr. Norbert Ndihokubwayo, a member of the parliament of Burundi, as outlined in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/179/11(a)-R.1), and to the resolution adopted at its 178th session (May 2006),

Taking account of the letters dated 7 and 26 September 2006 from the President of the National Assembly and of the hearing the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians held with her and other members of the delegation of Burundi to the 115th IPU Assembly (October 2006),

Recalling that Mr. Ndihokubwayo was elected in the 1993 elections on a FRODEBU (Front for Democracy in Burundi) ticket and that he was the target of two attempts on his life in September 1994 and again in December 1995 and that one of the persons suspected of the September 1994 attempt on his life, which left him severely injured, has since been apprehended, albeit in connection with another crime,

Considering that the National Assembly has appointed a committee to examine the cases of human rights violations of former and incumbent members of the parliament of Burundi, including the case of Mr. Ndihokubwayo, and that he has been appointed coordinator of the group,

Noting also that, according to the President of the National Assembly, while preparations for setting up the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission provided for in the Arusha Peace Agreement are under way, its establishment depends not only on the national authorities but also on the United Nations; that it is, however, the Government's wish to establish it as soon as possible,

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

2. Is gratified that a committee has been set up to look inter alia into Mr. Ndihokubwayo's case; trusts that it will receive all the necessary assistance and support from the authorities to carry out its mandate effectively;

3. Is convinced that, provided it is given the means, the committee will be able to make a crucial contribution to shedding light on the attempts on Mr. Ndihokubwayo's life and to bringing the perpetrators to trial;

4. Reaffirms that the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission can play an important role in the pursuit of truth and justice in this case too; is confident that the authorities will make every effort to establish it as early as possible; and would appreciate being kept informed in this regard;

5. Requests the Secretary General to inform the parliamentary authorities and the sources accordingly;

6. Requests the Committee to continue examining this case and report to it at its next session, to be held on the occasion of the 116th Assembly (April-May 2007).

Note: you can download a complete electronic version of the brochure "Results of the 115th IPU Assembly and related meetings in PDF format (file size 493K approximately ). This version requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download free of charge.

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