{AS the dialogue on Burundi peace talks resumes in Uganda today, the East African Community (EAC) chair is optimistic that a lasting solution will be reached. Patience has, however, been touted as all parties involved sit together to discuss ways of ending the conflict.}
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, East African, Regional and International Cooperation, Dr Augustine Mahiga, expressed in his interview with the ‘Daily News’ yesterday his satisfaction with the calmness he experienced in his visit in Bujumbura last week.
Dr Mahiga said the Burundi government assured him yesterday morning that a convoy had already left for Uganda to participate in today’s dialogue to kick-start peace talks aimed at restoring peace and harmony in Burundi.
“I have been assured this morning (yesterday) that a delegation from Burundi had left for Kampala already, Tanzania and the other EAC member states are also invited,” he explained. Other international institutions and countries invited to participate in the peace dialogue include the African Union, European Union, United Nations and United States of America.
Dr Mahiga, who has been working round the clock with regard to Burundi’s political impasse, said the dialogue in Uganda will kick-start peace talks which will take place on January 8, 2016 in Arusha.
The minister underscored the importance of inclusive dialogue that will involved all parties including the Burundi International peace commission, as well as other parties that are outside Burundi.
“The main challenge is bringing together all the groups involved including those within and outside Burundi in the peace dialogue,” Dr Mahiga noted. Dr Mahiga noted that the peace talks in Arusha in January will then kick-start EAC Heads of State Summit that will be planned thereafter.
Speaking on the situation on the ground during his one day visit to Burundi, Ambassador Mahiga described it as calm, without any sounds of gunfire with people going about with their daily lives.
“It was calm with people going about with their lives… I did not hear any sounds of gun fire neither did I need police escort during my visit… maybe in the regions, but the city was calm,” he explained.
He added that when he enquired, he was told that some parts of Bujumbura rural province experienced violence from remnants of people from the group that tried to topple the government early this year.
While in Bujumbura capital city of Burundi, last week, the minister met and held talks with Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza over the ongoing violence in the country, at the State House.
The visit to Burundi was implementation of the directives from the East African Community (EAC) bloc chairperson, President John Magufuli after he met with President Nkurunziza’s Special Envoy Reverien Ndikuriyo in Dar es Salaam the same week.
President Magufuli’s directive is part efforts in search for lasting solutions to the political crisis in Burundi that erupted from groups opposing the President Nkurunzinza’s third term.
Uganda’s Defence Minister Crispus Kiyonga was quoted by international media saying that there are 14 groups including the ruling party, opposition parties and civil society who will be attending the dialogue today in Kampala.
AU was poised to send 5,000 strong force of peacekeepers to halt the violence that sparked fears that Burundi was sliding back towards civil war. Burundi opposed the AU’s move fiercely.
Burundi, which also contributes several thousand troops to peacekeeping forces, including the AU mission in Somalia and the UN one in Central African Republic, said there was no need for peacekeepers in the country.
Ambassador Mahiga’s visit to Burundi and evaluation of the situation on the ground, as calm, might halt or slow down the 54-member state Union’s move to send the peacekeepers to Burundi.
Burundi’s unrest began in April when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his intention to run for a controversial third term, which he went on to win in July.
Source:Daily News:[EA seeks end to Burundi woes->http://dailynews.co.tz/index.php/home-news/45486-ea-seeks-end-to-burundi-woes]
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