{PRESIDENT John Magufuli directed the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation, East African and International Cooperation, Dr Augustine Mahiga, to visit Burundi, assess the political situation there and initiate peace talks.}
Following the directive, Ambassador Mahiga is flying to Burundi today to study the actual situation on the ground and see if it won’t amount to genocide. The minister said while in Burundi, he will see if there is need for the African Union (AU) to send troops to control the killings in that country now going on unabated in the midst of the fresh round of civil strife.
He added he will submit a report on his finding to Dr Magufuli, who will communicate with East African heads of state for further action against the civil disturbances in the tiny Central African country across Lake Tanganyika.
Moreover, according to the minister, his trip to Bujumbura will facilitate a peace dialogue that is expected to take place in Uganda next week.
On December 28, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni will meet with the conflicting parties to the Burundi crisis for peace negotiations, the outcome for which will be communicated to the East African foreign affairs ministers who will meet on January 8 to prepare an agenda for the heads of state summit to be held at a date to be decided later.
According to a State House statement yesterday, President Magufuli wants Dr Mahiga to also find out why there was an influx of Burundian refugees fleeing their country following the political unrest in the landlocked country.
On Tuesday, Dr Magufuli met President of the Burundi Senate, Mr Révérien Ndikuriyo, at the State House in Dar es Salaam where they discussed the political situation in Burundi and the country’s security following the ongoing political impasse.
On the Burundi crisis, Mr Ndikuriyo told Dr Magufuli that his country was ready for a dialogue with all stakeholders that will facilitate restoration of peace there. Last week, Dr Magufuli also directed Dr Mahiga to start arranging for the peace talks on the thorny issue of Burundi crisis. Tanzania is the current EAC chair.
Previously, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was given the task of facilitating the peace talks on the tiny central African nation. However, no political solution was found.
According to a statement from the Directorate of Presidential communications, Dr Magufuli talked to Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza at the weekend who expressed his readiness to engage in a dialogue that will help to end the crisis in his country.
The political unrest in Burundi started when President Nkurunziza declared that he would run for a third presidential term, despite opposition claims that the bid violated a constitutional limit to serve no more than two terms as president.
According to Dr Mahiga, President Magufuli directed him to issue information to all ministers in the neighbouring countries on the peace talks expected to take place in Uganda on December 28.
According to him, the peace dialogue will be coordinated by Uganda’s defence minister. He said his ministry was already in touch with EA ministers to chart strategies on how to go about the crucial talks.
Source:Daily News:[Dar seeks end to Burundi row->http://dailynews.co.tz/index.php/home-news/45349-dar-seeks-end-to-burundi-row]
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