AFRICA/BURUNDI - Community of Saint Egidio calls abolition of the death penalty “a historic decision”

Bujumbura (Agenzia Fides) - “The Parliament in Burundi has abolished the death penalty in the country, adopting a new penal code with 90 votes in favor, none against, and 10 abstentions. Now that the Great Lakes Region is once again enveloped in a conflict with serious consequences on the population, Burundi is showing positive signs which are a source of hope for the entire region,” says a statement sent to Agenzia Fides from the Community of Saint Egidio. “It is an historic decision that, for the first time, abolishes capital punishment in the martyred African nation. All the prisoners currently in prison and condemned to death will have their sentence changed to life in prison.
The abolition has come following the participation of Burundi's Justice Minister in the Meetings with the African Justice Ministers, organized by the Community of St. Egidio this year, the last of which was held on September 29, 2008 in Rome.
The Community of St. Egidio, which has worked intensely during these years on a global level and in several African nations, is glad about this historic decision made by the Burundi Parliament, which will contribute to the spread of a culture of life that abolishes the death penalty and encourages a reduction in violence, as well as paths to reconciliation and peaceful coexistence in countries like Burundi, which have had the terrible experience of genocide and that have decided not to use the death penalty as an instrument of justice. It is another step forward in the battle towards a more just, more humane world.” (LM) (Agenzia Fides 24/11/2008)