By FRED OLUOCH
In Summary
- The United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Said Djinnit, speaking in Nairobi, said that from his six meetings with President Nkurunziza since the political crisis began in April 2014 he has learnt that Bujumbura feels isolated.
- “Mr Mkapa is familiar with the issues and I think we got the right leader to help Burundi make a breakthrough. However, he wants stronger support from the leaders in the EAC including financial aid,” said Mr Djinnit.
Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza is demanding assurance
from the region and the international community that his country is not
being isolated in a bid to force him into talks with his opponents, a
UN envoy says.
President Nkurunziza said the Burundi dialogue facilitated by
former president of Tanzania Benjamin Mkapa also needs regional
ownership in terms of financial support to gain wider acceptance among
the various stakeholders.
The United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region,
Said Djinnit, speaking in Nairobi, said that from his six meetings with
President Nkurunziza since the political crisis began in April 2014 he
has learnt that Bujumbura feels isolated.
“I think the leadership of Burundi should be encouraged to
engage the region and the international community. The East African
Community has been politically supportive of Burundi’s peace process,
but it should now extend financial support and encourage both the
government and the opposition to moderate their hardline positions,”
said Mr Djinnit.
Mr Mkapa, after encountering obstacles since the EAC-sponsored
peace talks began in Arusha in July last year, is now planning to have
informal consultations with all the stakeholders individually and will
not convene another session in Arusha until further progress is made.
“Mr Mkapa is familiar with the issues and I think we got the
right leader to help Burundi make a breakthrough. However, he wants
stronger support from the leaders in the EAC including financial aid,”
said Mr Djinnit.
In September, China boosted the Burundi peace talks with a
$200,000 donation and Mr Djinnit says that EAC leaders have also pledged
to donate towards the process.
Last week, President Nkurunziza gave strong indications that he
was going to change the country's constitution that set out presidential
term limits.
A recent report by the International Crisis Group says the
Burundi government is planning to change the Constitution and abolish
term limits through the government-backed Intra-Burundi Dialogue
Commission, which has been going around the country collecting views
from the public.
Additional reporting by Moses Havyarimana.
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