Burundi government boycotts talks to settle crisis over Nkurunziza

BUJUMBURA: The Burundian government has decided to boycott talks currently under way in Arusha, Tanzania, aimed at settling the crisis in the east African country sparked by President Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision in 2015 to serve a third term as president.

“The Burundian government will not send delegates to the Arusha talks on February 16 to 18 this year. Burundian citizens need international solidarity, but they have the right to be respected during their choice in the dialogue process,” Burundian government spokesman Philippe Nzobonariba said.

According to him, invitations to participants to the talks to be held under the auspices of former Tanzanian president and facilitator in the inter-Burundi talks Benjamin Mkapa, have been characterised by irregularities.

“There are irregularities on the organisation of the session, notably on who should be invited to the talks and their agenda.

“Some of the invited participants are sued by the Burundian judiciary for their involvement in disrupting Burundi’s security,” Nzobonariba said.

Nzobonariba said that another issue was the denomination of political parties some participants will represent, stressing that they are not political parties registered at the Home Affairs Ministry.

According to him, the other concern is the possible participation in the talks of Jamal Benomar, special adviser of the UN secretary-general in Burundi.

Benomar was rejected by the Burundian government last December.

Nzobonariba indicated the Burundian government had requested his replacement.

This session of Arusha talks is expected to analyse eight issues, including respect for the Burundian constitution, the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Burundian citizens who fled the 2015 crisis and the formation of a government of unity.

Burundi has been plunged into a crisis since April 2015 when Burundi’s president, Nkurunziza, decided to run his controversial third term in violation of the national constitution and the 2000 Arusha Agreement that ended a decade-long civil war.

More than 500 people in Burundi have been killed and more than 300 000 people fled to neighbouring countries mostly Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda since the outbreak of the crisis. ANA