Burundi talks resume in Uganda

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has called on warring parties in Burundi to search for a common ground to mend their political differences. He was, yesterday, speaking at the resumption of Burundi talks in Entebbe, Uganda. In attendance were Burundi government representatives led by Foreign Affairs minister Alain Nyamitwe, and CNARED, an opposition party calling itself the National Council for the Respect of Arusha Accord. President Museveni, who was appointed by East African Community as the lead mediator in the talks, said there is need for a political solution to end the crisis. “I really appeal to you, the two sides, to sit down and have a political solution so that you save the people from suffering, you have no excuse not to sit down and quickly resolve these issues, these are clear things, you can meet one afternoon and agree,” he said while opening the dialogue at State House Entebbe, according to media reports. Call for a truce also came from the East African Community’s Secretary General, Richard Sezibera. Amb. Sezibera described the conflict as ‘a man made crisis’ that can be resolved in the shortest time period, should the opposing parties strike a balance on the country’s way forward. “Today, Burundi is at a crossroads, either the leaders and people of Burundi will invest in the peace, security, stability and prosperity that they so richly deserve, or with their eyes firmly fixed on the rear driving mirror they will continue to hurtle towards violence, political intolerance and possible civil war,” he said. The Opposition forum, through its spokesperson Pancrace Cimpaye, said negotiations wouldn’t be fruitful when innocent people’s lives continue to be at risk under the leadership of President Pierre Nkurunziza. “CNARED requires above all an immediate end to the massacres, because we cannot negotiate while people are about to be killed,” he said. The opposition, that the Burundian government dismisses as a gang of terrorists responsible for the aborted coup, emphasised the need for an early deployment of a peace keeping mission to Burundi. Last week, the African Union Peace and Security Council adopted a resolution on sending 5,000 troops to prevent violence in Burundi. But the Burundian government has said the deployment has first to be discussed and agreed upon by both parties. In a statement, the African Union said continuation of peace talks between the rivals should place interests of the people and the country at the substantial agenda. “A genuine and a truly inclusive dialogue will enable the Burundian stakeholders to overcome the current challenges,” it said. The statement indicated that the AU was committed to bring President Pierre Nkurunziza to the consent of sending peacekeepers under the proposed African Prevention and Protection Mission for Burundi (MAPROBU). The AU stressed that early deployment of MAPROBU and effective implementation of its mandate would tone down the ongoing tension between the two sides and reduce the current violence. “This, in turn, will facilitate the ongoing efforts to promote dialogue spearheaded by [President] Museveni on behalf of the region,” it said. Burundi’s political turmoil started in April this year, following the President’s decision to seek another term which he later won in a controversial election in July. The ongoing political crisis has led to the killing of more than 400 people and forced some 200,000 persons into exile in neighboring countries, including Rwanda.

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Burundi talks resume in Uganda