{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.}<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The UN Security Council has condemned the attack targeting Mbonimpa and voiced concern that the “security situation in Burundi is deteriorating rapidly.”<\/p>\n
In a unanimous statement on Tuesday, the 15-member council appealed for calm and a return to dialogue, voicing support for regional mediation efforts.<\/p>\n
Africa Review<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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