Calling Burundi a "U.N. success story" but simultaneously warning about the African country's "fragile" situation, U.N. envoy Carolyn McAskie briefed reporters Wednesday on the planned pullout of U.N. peacekeepers scheduled for completion by the end of the year. McAskie said there would be a 40 percent pullout of U.N. peacekeepers and staff in the coming months, and the remaining 60 percent of personnel will leave between September and December, a result of the U.N.-brokered Arusha Accords that were signed in 2000. "There is no justification for keeping $300 million in troops sitting in Burundi," said McAskie, who indicated that the money could be better spent on development programs in rehabilitating the country. "We are confident we can have an agreement with the FNL (Palipehutu-Forces Nationals de Liberation)," McAskie said, referring to the last rebel group still evading the Arusha Accords. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a report on Burundi released Wednesday that "Comprehensive peace will continue to elude Burundi as long as FNL remains militarily active and outside the peace process." McAskie, who will brief the Security Council Thursday on the secretary-general's report, warned that Burundi's fragile peace will be disrupted if the country is not adequately equipped to handle development issues. "You did the peacekeeping job, now do the peace building job," she said she would tell the council.
