Ahern to raise archbishop's murder with Pope

The murder of a Nenagh-born Vatican diplomat in Africa will be raised by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern when he meets the Pope and Vatican officials in Rome on Wednesday.

Mr Ahern will call for an international inquiry into the death of Archbishop Michael Courtney, Papal Nuncio to Burundi, who died in December 2003 when his car was ambushed by gunmen as he returned from a funeral.

The minister has been granted a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI and Archbishop Goivanni Lajolo, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States at midday on Wednesday.

The Co Louth TD will also brief the Vatican on the peace process, the situation in the Middle East, stem cell research and United Nations reform.

Mr Ahern said today: “At my meeting with Archbishop Goivanni Lajolo on Wednesday, we will be reviewing progress being made into bringing the murderers of Archbishop Michael Courtney to justice.

“I have remained in close contact with the Burundian authorities regarding the on-going internal investigation into Archbishop Courtney’s murder.

“While some may doubt whether any charges or prosecutions will ever result from this internal investigation, we must continue our efforts to bring the murderers to justice.

“We have always had an open mind on the question of establishing an international commission of inquiry into the murder, in the event of lack of progress in the internal investigation.”

The initial blame for Archbishop Courtney’s murder was placed at the rebel forces of the Forces Nationales de Liberation (FNL).

However the FNL has strenuously denied responsibility and accused the Burundian Army, or Tutsi elements within it, of deliberately targeting the diplomat due to his efforts to promote peace and reconciliation between the Tutsi and Hutu communities in Burundi.

An official investigation was launched by the Burundian authorities following the murder of Archbishop Courtney, 58.

The Government has maintained regular contact with the Burundian authorities and Mr Ahern also raised the matter with his Burundian counterpart at the UN General Assembly in September 2005.

“The Government remains open to the idea of an international commission of inquiry being launched, in the event that the official Burundian investigation fails to make any further progress,” Mr Ahern said today.

“In our view, we need to find out the true circumstances of what occurred. We may work through the proposed United Nations special Tribunal which would also be supportive generally of the UN’s efforts in promoting reconciliation and reconstruction within Burundi.

“We intend to continue encouraging the UN Secretariat in this direction. We will be informing the Vatican authorities of how our efforts are proceeding.

Archbishop Courtney was returning from a funeral when gunmen fired on his car at Minago, 30 miles south of the capital, Bujumburu.

The Archbishop’s remains were flown home and he is buried at Dromineer, six miles outside Nenagh.

Some 1,500 people also attended a funeral service for him in Burundi.