Presidents Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi (left), and Paul Kagame of
Rwanda. Relations between the two neighbour countries have deteriorated
over the past three years. PHOTOS | AFP
President Pierre Nkurunziza has asked the East African Community
leadership to urgently convene an extraordinary summit to address the
differences between Burundi and Rwanda.
While
addressing journalists at his home town in Ngozi Province on Friday,
President Nkurunziza once again accused Rwanda of harbouring ill
motives.
“We want the EAC to intervene because the
matter involves armed groups… People are getting killed and it shouldn’t
be taken lightly,” he said.
“Burundi does not harbour bad intentions; Rwanda does, and we will continue to say it.”
Kigali
has repeatedly denied allegations that it is meddling in Burundi’s
politics, with President Paul Kagame recently saying Bujumbura has
repeatedly provoked Kigali.
Rwanda’s Minister of State
in charge of EAC Affairs Olivier Nduhungirehe dismissed calls for the
special summit, saying that Bujumbura was only trying to deflect the
attention of the Community away from its political crisis.
“This summit will not take place. What will take place is the
ordinary summit. The situation in Burundi is internal and the EAC has
called on Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni to intervene,” he said.
Relations
between Burundi and Rwanda have deteriorated over the past three years,
with armed attacks resulting in the deaths of civilians and fighters
among border communities.
The International Conference
of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) has called on EAC member states and
partners to urgently address the crisis.
Secretary
General Zachary Muburi-Muita said that Burundi and Rwanda had recently
allowed the Enhanced Joint Verification Mechanism team based in Goma, DR
Congo, to conduct a verification mission on their border issues.
“Although
the report is yet to be discussed by the ministers of defence, we
welcome the spirit of submitting to this confidence-building organ of
the ICGLR,” said Mr Muita.
The call by ICGLR comes as
tensions between the two countries continue to rise with Burundi
boycotting the EAC Heads of State Summit that was to take place in
Arusha on November 30. It was rescheduled to December 27 but later moved
to February 2019.
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