The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, has said that the East African region has ample security save for Burundi whose internal skirmishes are over-spilling into neighbouring countries.
Mushikiwabo made the remarks this morning as she met senators to give an overall picture of the diplomatic and foreign relations situation where after she held a press briefing.
Mushikiwabo said that the current crisis in Burundi is a result of colonial history and interests of powerful countries competing in the region which continue to have ripple effects in the region.
She gave an example of FDLR where some of its leaders stay in America and Asia.
Mushikiwabo said that politics of some countries like Burundi continues to cause insecurity.
“Let’s take an example of Burundi where its politics of crisis is over spilling across borders. When a Rwandan is in Burundi or a Burundian is in Rwanda, it is not easy to differentiate them to the extent that it affects us when they are in crisis,” she said.
Burundi refugees in Rwanda have reached 75,000.
Mushikiwabo said that problems caused by politics of Burundi leaders should be addressed to restore peace in the region.
She said that the region has security except the crisis in Burundi which has lingered on for almost a whole year to restore cooperation.
Mushikiwabo said that stakeholders at all levels need to put efforts together to solve the crisis in Burundi. Recently the African Union agreed for five heads of state from Africa to meet President Piere Nkurunziza on restoration of peace.
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