Your Excellency,

I am very pleased to learn that the Security Council is planning to schedule a discussion on the possible reactivation of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry (Rwanda), known as UNICOI.

As you know, the European Parliament passed a resolution on arms flows to Burundi in its December 18, 1997 plenary assembly which, among other urgent measures, called for the reactivation of UNICOI and the extension of its mandate to include Burundi.

I am concerned, however, that an extension of UNICOI's mandate to include Burundi is not yet given serious consideration.

As documented in Human Rights Watch's report Stoking the Fires: Military Assistance and Arms Trafficking in Burundi, weapons have continued to flow to countries in the Great Lakes region, thereby compounding violations of human rights and humanitarian law. In this context, a mandate for UNICOI limited to Rwandan rebels would not reflect the reality on the ground. It would seem logical and prudent, therefore, to extend the territorial activities of the U.N. Commission to neighboring countries and to Burundi in particular, as desired by the European Parliament, among others.

May I also call your attention to the other crucial measures requested by the European Parliament, chief among them the imposition of an international arms embargo on both Burundian belligerent parties.

In this regard, I would like to refer your Excellency to Security Council Resolution 1072 (1996) which calls for an assessment of the situation in Burundi to decide whether to impose a ban of the sale or supply of arms and related materiel to the government of Burundi and to all Burundian factions in and outside the country, and ask you to make representation of this resolution's stipulations with your colleagues. I would also urge you to ensure that decisions pertaining to the embargo be accompanied from the outset by discussions of effective enforcement mechanisms of which UNICOI should be an integral part. In particular, we suggest that, as recommended by UNICOI in its March 14, 1996 report (S/1996/195), the Council request Burundi's neighbors to incorporate the U.N. embargo into their national laws; to monitor, implement and enforce the operation of the embargo on their own territory; and to make regular reports to the Security Council.

I believe that the extension of UNICOI's powers and jurisdiction will help to address the plight of thousands of Burundian civilians, who continue to be the real targets of indiscriminate attacks.

Sincerely,

/s/

Loretta Bondi'

Advocacy Coordinator

Human Rights Watch

Arms Division