Event Highlights:
A United Nations Envoy was in Burundi on January 22nd 2016 to assess the current situation in Burundi, meet with the President, government officials and the opposition following Burundi’s rejection for African Union intervention in the crisis.
Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza remained firm and maintained that they didn’t require the African Union Peacekeepers to help restore calm in December 2015.
Summary:
Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza remained firm and unwavered as he spoke to a visiting UN delegation on the matter of African Union Peacekeepers rejection of December 2015 maintaining that Burundi as a member of the union was supposed to be consulted as a sign of respect to its sovereignty.
The AU in December 2015 announced a 5,000 strong peacekeeping mission to Burundi with the sole mandate of ‘protection and prevention’ for an initial 6-months period prompted by the violence that has rocked the country since April 2015.
A genocide occurrence has been feared since the violence started in April with observers and analysts calling for immediate international response and intervention to avert the same. Nkurunziza however has dismissed the fears saying that a genocide of whatever magnitude cannot happen under his watch as he as a hang on all matters in his country.
Nkurunziza condemned the constant interference from Burundi’s neighbor Rwanda saying that they were the constant factor in the rebel uprising.
The envoy however recommended an increased international presence to ensure the peace and stability in the country that is seemingly deteriorating with the opposition allegedly forming a rebel movement that could destabilize Burundi further.
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