A senior African Union adviser from Burundi has resigned after 17 years at the continental body over concerns linked to the crisis in his home country, including continued displacement and the failure to adequately address the root causes of conflict. On Tuesday, September 8, Fred Gateretse Ngoga said in post on X that he had resigned from the AU Commission, where served as Senior Adviser on International Partnerships in the AU Border Programme and Regional Security Mechanisms in the Office of the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security. ALSO READ: Burundian diplomat speaks out on anti-Tutsi discrimination He did not reveal the reason for his resignation. “I have decided to resign from the African Union Commission after 17 years of service...” Ngoga wrote in the post that was later deleted. Reliable sources from the AU Commission told to The New Times that Ngoga's decision was linked to the wider challenges surrounding the situation in Burundi. Ngoga had previously voiced concerns about human rights violations in Burundi, especially discrimination against the Tutsi. This comes as Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye serves as the chairperson of the African Union Assuming. One source, who preferred anonymity, shared with The New Times a message that Ngoga reportedly sent to other AU personnel, in which he expressed his frustration with how security and humanitarian situations are managed on the continent. “Burundi is a reminder of a challenge we can no longer afford to look at in silos,” Ngoga said in the message. “When citizens continue to flee their homes, when displacement becomes a regional burden, when political, economic, governance and security pressures converge, the answer cannot simply be humanitarian management after the fact.” ALSO READ: Burundian diplomat resigns from AU Commission The political and security crisis in Burundi started an attempted coup on late President Pierre Nkurunziza in 2015. This was followed by refugee crisis, with hundreds of Burundians fleeing to countries in the region. The government of President Ndayishimiye, who took power in mid-2020, has tried to repatriate tens of thousands of refugees, but their return has been discouraged by reports of abuse by security forces. Ndayishimiye has also faced criticism over his economic policies and involvement in the conflict in eastern DR Congo and alliance with genocidal forces in the Kivu region. Amb. Ngoga argued that the situation in Burundi requires more than humanitarian responses, pointing to the political, economic, governance and security pressures that continue to affect citizens. “The continuing displacement of Burundians across our region should compel us to ask harder questions about what our multilateral architecture is delivering, and what it must do better,” Ngoga said. He said the experience should also force regional and continental institutions to examine whether they are acting early enough when warning signs emerge. “Our institutions cannot be judged only by how well they manage the aftermath of conflict,” Ngoga said. “They must also be capable of preventing conflict, addressing its root causes and acting decisively when early warning signs are already visible.” He said humanitarian responses cannot provide a lasting solution when the factors driving displacement remain unaddressed. Ngoga further noted that Burundi’s crisis should be treated as a regional and continental concern because of its effects beyond the country’s borders. “Burundi is therefore not merely a Burundian question. It is a test of our collective regional and continental commitment to peace, security, good governance and human dignity,” he said. Ngoga previously headed the Conflict Prevention and Early Warning Division at the AU Commission, working on conflict prevention and security matters across the continent. “I will not allow distorted narratives about my departure to distract from the much more important conversation about the work ahead, Ngoga said. He added that leaving the AU would not end his commitment to the issues that have defined his public service. “I leave one institutional chapter after many years of service, but I do not leave the mission,” he said. Dismissal claims The resignation has also been accompanied by claims that Ngoga had already been dismissed from the AU Commission before announcing his departure. However, reliable sources indicated that a letter circulating online purporting to show that Ngoga had been dismissed more than a month before his post on X was not authentic, that he had not been dismissed. On Monday, September 7, Ngoga, representing the African Union, was among senior AU and UN-linked officials who met with Ida Odinga, Kenya's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme offices in Nairobi.
