Burundi Government boycotts 5th round of Inter-Burundian dialogue

Prosper Ntahorwamiye, Spokesperson for government says Bujumbura will not attend the 5th round of the dialogue session scheduled from 24 to 29 October in Arusha, Tanzania. The October month is a mourning period for Burundians,” says Ntahorwamiye. He says Burundi government has informed the facilitation in the Inter-Burundian dialogue: “We have called on the facilitator to postpone the dialogue session in vain,” says Ntahorwamiye adding that Burundi government is still waiting for the response. On 13 and 21 October, Burundians commemorate respectively the assassinations of Prince Louis Rwagasore, Independence hero and President Melchior Ndadaye, the democracy hero.

Prosper Ntahorwamiye: “The October month is the mourning period for Burundians

Nancy Ninette Mutoni, spokesperson for the ruling party-CNDD-FDD says her party will not participate in the 5th round of the Inter-Burundian dialogue. She also says the party has asked Burundi government and the facilitation to agree on the participants who will sign on the roadmap to 2020 elections.

CNDD-FDD Spokesperson says divergent views among Burundians have been discussed and the solutions have been found through the new Constitution and the National Development Plan. “It is the reason why the 5th session has the main objective of drawing a consensual roadmap to 2020 elections”, says Mutoni adding that it will be the last dialogue session held outside the country.

As for Jean De Dieu Mutabazi, chairman of RADEBU party, if Burundi government doesn’t attend the 5th dialogue session, 11 political parties of the extra-parliamentary opposition and its allies will not also participate in the 5th round of Burundi talks. “As long as Burundi government and the facilitation don’t agree on the dialogue process, we will not respond to the facilitation invitation,” says Mutabazi.

However, some sources reveal that the coalition of Independents “Amizero y’Abarundi”, Sahwanya FRODEBU party and National Gathering for Change-RANAC have already flown to Arusha for the 5th round of the Inter-Burundian dialogue. The 5th round of the Inter-Burundian dialogue was already postponed from 19 -24 October to 24-29 October.