Ugandan President Museveni In Burundi For Crisis Mediation Talks

Key points:

• Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Burundi
• Set to mediate between President Nkurunziza and opposition
• Opposition have boycotted elections
• Nkurunziza’s bid for third term threatening Burundi’s stability

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni arrived in Burundi on Tuesday to officiate mediation and establish dialogue between the warring factions.

President Museveni was appointed to be the mediator in the Burundi crisis by the East African Community. The visit comes after Nkurunziza of the Forces for Defense and Democracy (CNDD-FDD) postponed the presidential polls from July 15^th to July 21^st owing to international pressure.

The opposition leader, Leonard Ngendakumana in the recent days has held that President Nkurunziza step down or be faced with an armed rebellion. The opposition has boycotted the presidential polls which will by default hand President Nkurunziza a third term unless he stepped down.

Despite a court ruling that allowed an additional third term for presidency, the opposition maintains that it violates the peace accord of a two-term limit for president that was signed in 2006 ending a 12-year civil war in Burundi.

The talks with the two parties are expected to yield results that will prevent the country from spiraling back into civil war and destabilizing the very volatile region.

The mediation hopes to create a stepping stone to reconcile the country that has seen over 50 people dead, an attempted coup as well as tens of thousands of people fleeing the country.