Albert Shingiro: “The sovereignty of Burundi must be respected”
The UN Security Council plans to analyse this Monday 18 July a draft of a resolution introduced by France on the dispatching of 228 police officers to Burundi to be deployed all over the territory. There is a possibility of modifying the mission of that contingent in case of security deterioration.
The initiative has always been rejected by Bujumbura supported by some members of Security Council like China and Russia, and Egypt as well. Those countries say they are ready to vote for it only if the government of Burundi signs to accept the deployment.
The Burundian ambassador to the UN, Albert Shingiro, has already rejected that proposition putting forward the “respect of the national sovereignty”. According to him, President Nkurunziza would authorise no more than fifty unarmed police officers.
For several months, Bujumbura has been involved in a sort of diplomatic discussions with the UN and AU [African Union] over the dispatching of a peacekeeping force.
Of the 200 human rights observers and military experts to be deployed by the AU, only 47 have been sent to Burundi and are trying to do their work.
During their last visit to Burundi, the delegation of the Peace and Security Council of the AU said there was a “draft agreement to be negotiated and signed”. “Negotiations continue. There are no fundamental differences of opinion on that question”, assured Ambassador Lazare Makayat Safouesse speaking on behalf of the delegation.
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Originally in French by Abbas Mbazumutima. Translated by Innocent Habonimana.
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