{UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has told Burundi’s president that he is deeply concerned by the worsening security situation in the east African nation and urged him to re-open talks with the opposition.}
Mr Ban’s spokesman said Thursday that he and President Pierre Nkurunziza spoke on Wednesday following the killing of a top general and the attempted murder of leading human rights activist Pierre Claver Mbonimpa.
The two attacks were seen as a sharp escalation of the violence that has engulfed Burundi in the months since Nkurunziza put forth his bid to win a third term in office.
During the conversation, Mr Ban condemned the attacks and “expressed his deep concern over the impact of these events on security in Burundi,” said spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
He urged Mr Nkurunziza to “resume the political dialogue” with the opposition that broke off on July 19 and to work with Ugandan mediators tasked with helping find a way out of crisis.
President Nkurunziza, in power since 2005, was declared the winner in elections last month, following months of violent protests. The international community has criticised the elections as deeply flawed.
General Adolphe Nshimirimana, who was widely seen as the central African nation’s de-facto internal security chief, was killed in a rocket attack over the weekend.
On Monday, a gunman on a motorbike shot Mbonimpa, who had opposed Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term, and the rights activist’s face was seriously wounded.
The UN Security Council has condemned the attack targeting Mbonimpa and voiced concern that the “security situation in Burundi is deteriorating rapidly.”
In a unanimous statement on Tuesday, the 15-member council appealed for calm and a return to dialogue, voicing support for regional mediation efforts.
Africa Review
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