SG/T/2070

SECRETARY-GENERAL AND BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY AGREE ON NEED TO ENCOURAGE EFFORTS TO FIND PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS IN BURUNDI

27 June 1996


Press Release
SG/T/2070


SECRETARY-GENERAL AND BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY AGREE ON NEED TO ENCOURAGE EFFORTS TO FIND PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS IN BURUNDI

19960627 LONDON, 26 June -- Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind today agreed it was imperative to encourage current regional initiatives to find a peaceful solution to the problems in Burundi and to encourage international efforts to develop a contingency plan to prevent further bloodshed.

The Secretary-General and Mr. Rifkind conducted an extensive review of African issues this morning, mainly the situations in Rwanda, Nigeria and Zaire, including preparations for the forthcoming elections in the latter.

They also discussed the Cyprus problem at length, in view of the recent contacts with the leaders of the two communities.

The Secretary-General also met the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Emeka Anyaoku, later this morning. Chief Anyaoku briefed him on the outcome of the meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on Human Rights, which concluded its deliberations in London yesterday. They discussed at length the situation in Nigeria and agreed to continue the close coordination and cooperation between the two organizations in that regard. They also discussed the forthcoming elections in the Gambia, as well as the recently concluded elections in Sierra Leone, and the necessity of consolidating conciliation efforts in the country.

The Secretary-General is accompanied on his two-day working visit to London by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Marrack Goulding.

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For information media. Not an official record.