UN puts pressure on Juba and Burundi

Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza (second left) and United Nations’ Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon address the media after talks at the president’s office on February 23. PHOTO | AFP 

By FRED OLUOCH

In Summary

• The week-long visit to eastern Africa and the Great Lakes region by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon produced a mixture of success and challenges.
• In Burundi, Mr Ban persuaded President Pierre Nkurunziza into holding talks with the opposition to end the political and humanitarian crisis that started last April.
• In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mr Ban encountered a charged atmosphere where the government is cracking down against opposition supporters who have been protesting delayed plans for the November elections and President Joseph Kabila’s plan to run for an unconstitutional term. 
• But Mr Ban had considerable success in South Sudan where he got President Salva Kiir to commit to a clear roadmap for the implementation of the peace agreement signed in August 2015.

The week-long visit to eastern Africa and the Great Lakes region by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon produced a mixture of success and challenges.

In Burundi, Mr Ban persuaded President Pierre Nkurunziza into holding talks with the opposition to end the political and humanitarian crisis that started last April.

After meeting government and opposition representatives separately, they agreed to hold an inclusive dialogue, with President Nkurunziza committing himself for the first time that he will engage in political dialogue.

“Nothing prevents them from continuing on this course,” Mr Ban said in the statement. The government also promised to release 2,000 prisoners, which Mr Ban hailed as a “goodwill gesture.”

READ: Burundi govt to release 2,000 prisoners, hold talks with opposition

The challenge however is that the secretary-general met with only the opposition inside the country, while those in exile — who have reportedly formed a militia to oust President Nkurunziza — are yet to commit to dialogue.

The other issue yet to be solved is the icy Burundi-Rwanda relations, where President Nkurunziza appealed to Mr Ban to help end alleged Rwandan support for Burundian rebels. Kigali has consistently denied the allegations linking it to the rebels.

Congo

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mr Ban encountered a charged atmosphere where the government is cracking down against opposition supporters who have been protesting delayed plans for the November elections and President Joseph Kabila’s plan to run for an unconstitutional term. 

The secretary-general met with various political stakeholders urging them to engage in political dialogue and respect human rights.

Opposition leader Martin Fayulu, was freed a week before the secretary-general’s visit. Mr Fayulu who heads Engagement for Citizenship and Development movement had called for a strike to protest President Kabila’s move to change the constitution to allow him to stand for a third term.

Mr Ban officially opened the international conference on private investment in Eastern Africa and the Great Lakes region in Kinshasa, where he said that continuous armed conflicts in the region were a major hindrance to the positive exploitation of natural resources.

The situation in DRC, however, is still tense after six activists of the Goma-based Citizens’ Movement for Change being sentenced to two years in prison for “incitement to revolt.”

The secretary-general expressed concern about the increased restriction of political space in the DRC, where the Human Rights Watch had warned that the scheduled November General Election might not take place as the government is preoccupied with repressing perceived political opponents instead of organising for the same.

JubaEast African Community. PHOTO | ALBERT GONZALEZ |

The UN boss also promised to hold a face-to-face meeting with President Kiir and rival Riek Machar who is the designated first vice-president in the yet to be formed transitional government.

READ: UN chief visits South Sudan in bid to push peace

In a press release by the UN News Centre, Mr Ban said, “My message to the leaders of South Sudan is clear: Put peace above politics. Pursue compromise.  Overcome obstacles.  Establish the Transitional Government of National Unity. And do not delay it. The parties must know that responsibility does not end with the signing of an agreement.  In many ways, it begins with the signing of agreement. And it must begin now,” said Mr Ban.

Prior to the visit, President Kiir had ordered the withdrawal of thousands of troops and excess presidential guards from Juba, which was one of the stumbling blocks in the formation of a transitional government.