By Guido Lanfranchi. On May 24^th, United States State Department voiced its support for the actions undertaken by the Dutch and Australian governments, which have called Russia “to account for its role in the July 2014 downing of Malaysia Fight #17.” On July 17^th, 2014, the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH-17) took off from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and headed towards Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At around 16:20 local time, the aircraft was flying over eastern Ukraine, theater of a conflict between the government and separatist rebels, when it was shot down by a surface-to-air missile. All the 298 people on board, both crew and passengers, died. In the aftermath of the accident, the different factions fighting in eastern Ukraine started trading accusations. The matter was swiftly referred to the United Nations Security Council. On July 21^st, the Council passed Resolution 2166, expressing support for the “efforts to establish a full, thorough and independent international investigation into the incident,” and calling all UN member states to “provide any requested assistance to civil and criminal investigations.” Since then, several investigations have been held, with the Dutch government playing a pivotal role in many of them. On May 24^th, the Dutch Public Prosecutor exposed the findings of the most recent investigation, conducted by the so-called Joint Investigation Team. According to the JIT results, the surface-to-air BUK missile that hit the MH-17 was shot from a launcher belonging to the Russian 53^rd anti-aircraft brigade. After the publication of these information, the Dutch and Australian government decided to hold the Russian government legally responsible for the incident, in which 193 Dutch nationals and 27 Australian citizens lost their lives. In its press communique, the United States State Department declared its “complete confidence in the findings of the JIT.” In the document, USSD Spokesperson Ms. Heather Nauert stressed that the launcher used to down the MH-17 “was brought into sovereign Ukrainian territory from Russia, was fired from territory controlled by Russia and Russia-led forces in eastern Ukraine, and was then returned to Russian territory.” The US State Department thus expressed strong support for the “decisions by the Netherlands and Australia to call Russia to account,” and urged Russia to “cease its lies” and to “adhere to UNSCR 2166 and respond to Australia’s and the Netherlands’ legitimate requests.” The State Department also offered its condolences to the families and friends of the 298 innocent victims, pledging to “call for justice” on their behalf. In the conclusive remarks, the Department highlighted that it remains “confident in the ability of the Dutch criminal justice system to prosecute those responsible in a manner that is fair and just.”

 H.E. Mrs. Vestine Nahimana with Radboud University Students By Roy Lie Atjam. On Tuesday 22^nd May 2018, a group of about twenty-five enthusiastic students of the Faculty of Public Administration, Radboud University Nijmegen, made their way to the Embassy of the Republic of Burundi in The Hague. The reason was a study visit. H.E. Mrs. Vestine Nahimana Ambassador heartily welcomed the students. The Ambassador subsequently introduced her country and touched on some min topics. A Q&A was also part of the interactive encounter. Extracts of Ambassador Nahimana’s presentation now follows. “It is always a good opportunity to get to know foreign countries through this kind of visits, notably for students with your background and aspirations. Inspired by the questions you have prepared in advance, I will give you a presentation of my country Burundi, although I know that you have done your homework. Burundi is a landlocked country, located in the African Great lake region, Tanganyika, commonly known as Swiss of Africa because of its hills similar to those of Switzerland. Burundi is also referred to as the heart of Africa because of its geographical location. Its surface is 27,834 square km with a population estimated at about 12 million.

It is a country with a young population of (65 %) and agriculture is the activity most practiced by the population (90%). Burundi gained independence from Belgium in 1962 thanks to Prince Louis Rwagasore (killed a year earlier). In 1965, Burundi inaugurated the era of the Republic by the late President Michel Micombero. Then, in order, Colonel J. Baptiste Bagaza and Major Pierre Buyoya. All these presidents came to power through military coups. In 1993 the first president to be democratically elected was invested. H.E. Melchior Ndadaye, he was killed later that same year (three months later) during a coup by the then mono-ethnic army. This triggered a decade-long war that left about three hundred thousand (300,000) dead and millions more went into to exile. In 2005, after three years of transitional government, H.E. Pierre Nkurunziza was appointed by the Parliament and Senate to the Presidency of the Republic of Burundi. The Government of Burundi is composed of the executive organ, the legislative organ composed of two chambers (National Assembly and Senate) and the judiciary organ, all independent. On the economic front, Burundi is one of the developing countries. Endowed with rich natural resources, the country fights to take advantage of its minerals for development. The other main source of its development is the exportation of crops grown in the country.

• The relationship between the Netherlands and Burundi

The Netherlands and Burundi enjoy friendly relations and this is illustrated in several ways: Diplomatically and politically, both countries are represented by Embassies respectively installed in each other countries. We can also note also frequent courtesy visits by official authorities. On the Security front, Burundi and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed a “memorandum d’entente” for the implementation of the Security Sector Development Program. On the economic front, both countries benefit from mutual cooperation in the fields of food and agriculture. Many Dutch NGOs and start-ups operate in Burundi in the sectors of agriculture, food, security and health.

• Recent tensions in Burundi and the current security situation

In 2015, Burundi witnessed protests turned into insurgency, these insurrections that later led to an attempted coup were planned by some politicians who did not support the idea of ​​participating in the elections. But this period is over. Burundi enjoys peace and security throughout its territory. Nevertheless, cases of banditry and delinquency can be recorded, as is the case in all countries of the world.

• Tensions between Hutu and Tutsi

The tensions between the two groups are almost over, thanks to the Constitution and the Arusha Agreement that allowed the two groups to collaborate and not to exclude themselves, which was one of the reasons for the civil war in Burundi for a very long time. During the 2015 Attempted Coup, some political actors attempted to divide the population with this ethnic rhetoric. But the Burundian people have resisted the division, and I believe this is a huge victory for the Burundian people.

• The example of Rwanda (economy, government)

I will not talk about governance or the economy of Rwanda, but rather about Burundi. But let me answer very clearly, Rwanda is not an example for Burundi because the two countries are not the same and do not have the same challenges. What you need to know about Burundi is that it tries to solve the needs of its people rather than designing plans and imposing them on the population. I think this is important.

• The importance of African integration like the European Union.

African countries have been aware long time ago of the imperative necessity to work together to achieve common goals. It is in this sense that the African Union was created. There are also sub-regional communities in Africa. Burundi is part of the East African Community for instance. What is important to note is that challenges, goals and purposes of Africans are different from those of the European Union. Integration in terms of effective free movement of goods and people is still a big challenge for example. Yes, Africa’s future lies in sound and stable integration. Burundi enjoys its full integration into the East African Community. Thus, the country can enjoy access to the sea via Mombasa or the port of Dar-Es-Salam. Dear students, I now invite you on a video trip to Burundi through this short report that will show more about the landscapes, the resources, the culture and even opportunities that abound in the country.” The students were impressed when learned about a 30% quota for women in institutions. The group’s coordinator Jelle Lammers presented Ambassador Nahimana with a token of appreciation. Enriched with a better insight of Burundi, the students bid goodbye to Ambassador Nahimana. ——— Photography by the Embassy of Burundi in The Hague.

Today, Eurojust welcomed the Dutch Minister of Justice and Security, Ferd Grapperhaus, and the European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Ms Vera Jourová, for the final step in the inauguration of Eurojust’s new state of the art premises in the international zone in The Hague. The Minister and Commissioner were invited to unveil a statue in front of the building, offered to Eurojust by the Dutch government and created by Mr Fernando Sánchez Castillo.

The new Eurojust headquarters is a unique purpose-built facility, constructed and owned by the Dutch State and rented to Eurojust. The building can accommodate up to 400 employees and has been tailored to Eurojust’s mission to develop and enhance judicial cooperation, coordination and mutual trust in the European Union’s fight against serious organised cross-border crime. This new building is the community of thousands of national prosecutors and law enforcement officials around the EU who – every day, everywhere in Europe – work hard to fight all forms of criminality, and call on Eurojust for support and guidance’, said Ladislav Hamran, the President of Eurojust. ‘And they all did so with one common goal: to ensure that justice and security are brought to Europe’s citizens.’ Mr Hamran went on to thank Minister Grapperhaus for the unwavering support of the Dutch government in creating an optimal work environment for more than 8 000 legal practitioners who visited Eurojust’s premises last year to look for answers, best practice and inspiration in the field of judicial cooperation. ‘Looking ahead to the many challenges to justice and security that the future is presenting us with, we know that our new headquarters offers a solid base from which we can deliver the quality of support that Member States and other stakeholders rightfully expect from us.’ Minister Grapperhaus said: ‘The Netherlands is convinced that Eurojust is now perfectly equipped to fulfil its crucial role in the field of judicial cooperation within the EU for a long time to come. I would like to wish Eurojust and all those who work here the best of luck in exercising that role. The Netherlands remains keen to continue to support Eurojust to maintain its self-standing, complementary role next to the other JHA agencies and that it has adequate resources to do its important work.’ Commissioner Jourová said: ‘Eurojust plays a key role in the area of freedom security and justice. The increasing workload shows the clear added value of Eurojust, especially in cases which matter most to our citizens: terrorism, illegal migration and cybercrime, to name just a few. Eurojust can rely on the Commission’s support in its mission. I would like to warmly thank the President, Ladislav Hamran, the Vice Presidents and the President’s team for all the work undertaken in the last year to reform, streamline and revise the organisational structure of Eurojust to a solid, efficient and sustainable organisation that can thrive in its new premises.’ Photos © Eurojust