Politicians, Civil Society organizations… have some recommendations to the 17th extra-ordinary summit of the EAC Heads of States being held in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania.
Léonce Ngendakumana: “we need those EAC Heads of States to support the mediator and give him power to bring again his mediation and reconcile the two conflicting parties.”
For Léonce Ngendakumana, the deputy chairman of Sahwanya Frodebu (opposition party), EAC Heads of States must attract a serious attention to Mkapa’ s report on the Inter-Burundian dialogue as he was mandated by them. He hopes that the Heads of States will receive and consider the true value of the mediator’s report on the first and second rounds of the dialogue on the crisis in Burundi. “William Mkapa made different consultations with different stakeholders including the Burundian Government, the opposition, the former Burundian presidents, Civil Society Organizations, Religious Confessions, women and youths’ networks. It is important to hear about the results of these consultations. Then, we need those EAC Heads of States to support him and give him power to bring again his mediation and reconcile the two parties i.e. those who participated in the elections and those who didn’t. In two months, we expect to see the Burundian talks being organized in Burundi with all stakeholders safely otherwise the recalcitrant people will be punished accordingly”, he said.
Pacifique Nininahazwe, the chairman of FOCODE, one of the organizations grouped into a “Halt to the third term” movement, wishes that the EAC Summit note Nkurunziza’s refusal to negotiate with other stakeholders, his contempt for the international community and the pre-genocidal situation in Burundi.
He goes on to say that urgent actions such as restrictive sanctions that will push Nkurunziza to accept the dialogue are needed. “ The embargo on arms and military effects as well as any other strategic assets for the military as fuel, economic sanctions due to the violation of the EAC protocols by Burundi, including the refusal to trade with a neighboring country from the community are some urgent sanctions to impose to Burundi”, he said. For Pacifique Nininahazwe, the community has an obligation to protect Burundians.
He, then, added that it is urgent to engage quickly an international independent commission to investigate serious violations of human rights underway in Burundi not to mention that the EAC has spoken of disarming militia since May 2015.
The same view is shared by the association engaged in fighting against corruption and economic embezzlement-OLUCOME.In the statement issued on 7 September, Gabriel Rufyiri, OLUCOME chairman, demanded the EAC Heads of States to validate the talks’ agenda recommended by the mediation and urged all the stakeholders in the next round of the inter-Burundian talks to attend it. If not, some serious sanctions should be imposed against the recalcitrant.
Jean De Dieu Mutabazi: “From this summit, we expect the normalization of relations with Rwanda, France and Belgium”.
Jean De Dieu Mutabazi, a pro-governmental opposition leader indicated that RADEBU party and allied political parties expect from this summit the normalization of relations with Rwanda, France and Belgium. “Kigali must stop recruiting armed troublemakers .There should also be a repatriation of Burundian refugees in Mahama and Nakivale refugee camps from Rwanda and Uganda respectively”, he insists.
The 17th Extra-Ordinary summit of the EAC Heads of States is taking place in Dar-Es- Salaam, Tanzania this Thursday, 8 September 2016. It will be considering the EAC Council of Ministers’ report on EU-EAC Economic Partnership Agreement, Mkapa’s report on the Inter-Burundian dialogue, the Council report on South Sudan Republic and the swearing in of the new EAC Deputy Secretary General from the Republic of Rwanda.
IWACU Open Data
