Dar scoffs Burundi peace negotiations ‘failure’ reports

{TANZANIA has denounced reports that efforts to seek a solution for the political crisis in Burundi have hit the snag, saying the peace talks under the chairmanship of Uganda President Yoweri Museveni are in good progress.}

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, East African, Regional and International Cooperation, Ambassador Augustine Mahiga, said in Arusha that Tanzania would ensure that the talks on the Burundi political crisis bear fruits.

“We are determined to resolve the ongoing political crisis in Burundi. The situation in Burundi is vital for our regional security and development,” said the minister when briefing reporters shortly before meeting his Angolan counterpart, Mr George Chikoti.

According to Dr Mahiga, yesterday’s meeting in the Mount Meru slope city would centre on exchanging experience with countries, which are participating in the conversation and that the meeting was aimed at preparing a joint report to be submitted to the ICGLR summit.

“On behalf of President John Magufuli, who is the current EAC chairman, I want to reiterate that we have sincere intention to end the political crisis in Burundi,” he insisted.

While conflicting parties in Burundi are still adamant to hold peace talks in Arusha, Dr Augustine Mahiga convened a Consultative Meeting here to deliberate on the way forward regarding the situation in Bujumbura.

The meeting was attended by Mr Chikoti, who is also Chairperson of the Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR); Dr Crispus Kiyonga, Minister for Defence of the Republic of Uganda and representative of President Yoweri Museveni, the Facilitator of the Dialogue; Dr Richard Sezibera, EAC Secretary General; Mr Kassimi Bamba, from the African Union Office in Burundi and the Great Lakes region.

Dr Mahiga said that leaders who take part in talks on Burundi political crisis had applauded efforts made by Tanzania pointing out that joint efforts were vital for the political crisis solution. Burundi is in political crisis since last year after the country’s ruling party announced that the incumbent President of Burundi, Piere Nkurunziza, would run for a third term in the 2015 presidential election.

The announcement sparked protests by those opposed to Nkurunziza seeking a third term in office. The consultative meeting in Arusha was a follow-up on the re-launch of the dialogue in Kampala by President Yoweri Museveni last December 28, 2015, in his capacity as Facilitator of the Burundi Dialogue.

The meeting noted with appreciation and expressed support for the steps taken in particular by the EAC, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) and the resultant communiques and related pronouncements by the EAC emergency summits of May 13 and July 6, 2015.

Other pronouncements include the ones by the AU Peace and Security Council on October 17, November 13 and December 17, 2015; the United Nations Security Council’s presidential statement of October 28, 2015 and the United Nations Security Council’s Resolution 2248 (2015) of November 12, 2015.

The consultative meeting also expressed concern on the continued political crisis in Burundi and its potential to degenerate further with far reaching humanitarian implications; and in that regard reiterated the need for the parties to embrace political dialogue as the only feasible way to end the crisis in Burundi.

Delegates of the meeting expressed support for the facilitation efforts under Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni and noted that the dialogue scheduled for January 6, 2016 did not take place due to ongoing consultations.

The meeting also committed to intensify consultations with the Burundi government and the opposition with a view to continue the Burundi political dialogue as soon as possible.

Moreover, the meeting delegates thanked Dr Mahiga for convening the consultative meeting and expressed appreciation to the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and the EAC Secretary General for the conducive environment that facilitated the deliberations.

Source:Daily News:[Dar scoffs Burundi peace negotiations ‘failure’ reports->http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/home-news/45831-dar-scoffs-burundi-peace-negotiations-failure-reports]