Burundian politicians expect tangible results from 20th EAC Heads of State Summit

Despite the request of Burundi Government to postpone the 20th Summit of EAC Heads of State, EAC Chairperson has maintained the schedule set for 30 November, in Arusha, Tanzania.

The 20th summit of EAC Heads of State is set for 30 November

Tatien Sibomana, opposition politician says he expects tangible results from the 20th Summit of EAC Heads of State which will take place in Arusha, Tanzania on 30 November. “We believe that the summit will decide on the way the inter-Burundian dialogue should continue as it fizzled out because Bujumbura didn’t want to take a step forward in the resolution of the current crisis,” says Sibomana.

He also believes the summit will bring solutions as it promised it to Burundians and the international community including the UN and AU. “I don’t think that the summit will proclaim that it has been unable to resolve the crisis. We look forward to positive results after the summit,” says Sibomana.

As for Keffa Nibizi, chairman of FRODEBU Nyakuri, the report of the Inter-Burundian dialogue will be submitted to the summit in order to be concluded. “The summit would recommend the organization of the last sessions before holding another session which would last one or two days and end up with a final communiqué,” says Nibizi adding that there is no crisis in Burundi except some differences of views. Nibizi also believes that the summit will close the dialogue sessions and let Burundians find solutions themselves.

On 24 November, President Pierre Nkurunziza sent a correspondence to the EAC Chairperson requesting him to postpone the council of Ministers which precedes and prepares the Summit of EAC Heads of State for a period of two weeks. As the correspondence reads, the invitation letter signed on 30 October reached Burundi Presidency very late on 21 November. “We consider this period to be very short for thorough preparations for the summit which requires four weeks according to Article 10 of the Rules of procedure for the Summit of EAC Heads of State,” reads the correspondence.

In a correspondence that Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Ugandan President and the current EAC Chairperson sent to his Burundi counterpart, he said he is against the postponement of the summit adding that it would not be in the best interest of the community.