Burundi: Government, opposition meet for talks to end crisis
Police line up against protestors in the Musaga neighbourhood of Bujumbura, in Burundi on Monday. PHOTO BY AFP
Bujumbura- Government and opposition rivals met in Burundi yesterday in a bid to end deadly demonstrations against a third term bid by the president, as regional foreign ministers arrived to add pressure.
Protesters have defied calls to end demonstrations, after more than a week of running battles in which over a dozen people have been killed, including police.
President Pierre Nkurunziza, a former rebel leader from the Hutu majority who has been in power since 2005, has come under intense international pressure to withdraw from the June 26 presidential poll.
“This is a last chance meeting, they have to come up with concrete solutions so that elections can be held in acceptable conditions,” a diplomat said, warning international funding for polls could be cut if a deal was not struck.
By press time yesterday, the meeting was still ongoing.
US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Monday that he was “deeply concerned” about Mr Nkurunziza’s decision to stand again, which he said “flies directly in the face of the constitution”.
The rivals met late Tuesday and talks were expected to continue yesterday, as protests continued in some areas of the capital.
Meanwhile East African foreign ministers, from neighbouring Rwanda and Tanzania, as well as Kenya and Uganda, arrived “to listen to all parties in the conflict, and to try to propose ways out of crisis,” Foreign ministry spokesman Daniel Kabuto said.
A government source, speaking like the diplomat on condition of anonymity, confirmed the government had “agreed to talk with some partners in civil society and the opposition to find a solution.”
But one of the leaders of the campaign against Mr Nkurunziza’s third term said they were doubtful the talks would result in a serious deal.
“We talked late into the night yesterday (Tuesday),” he said, also asking not to be named.
“But I’m afraid we won’t succeed - because the government does not want to discuss the third mandate of Mr Nkurunziza, and this issue is non-negotiable for us.”
