This Wednesday, we at Interpeace have learned with profound sadness of the death of Michel Kipoké, a Congolese national helping to spearhead dialogue and reconciliation efforts between Burundian leaders and groups.

Michel was an inspiring figure and devoted peacebuilder whose success was in large part due to his personal humility, his ability to understand and empathize with others and his determination to never give up no matter what the difficulties - and the difficulties were plentiful.

We would like to extend our sincere condolences to his family and to the international NGO Initiatives of Change, with which he did his pioneering work.

Burundi, the Central African region and the world have just lost a true peacebuilder.

Scott M. Weber
Director-General
29 June 2007