In his visit to Burundi last week, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Michel Kafando, discussed the inter-Burundian dialogue with the Ombudsman. Politicians say he should have met with them as well.
Michel Kafando, Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Burundi
The UNSG Special Envoy to Burundi has just concluded a week-long visit to Burundi during which he met with Alain Aimée Nyamitwe, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Burundian Ombudsman, Edouard Nduwimana. According to a statement issued by the Office of the Special Envoy of the United Nations in Burundi, the discussion was centered on the inter-Burundian dialogue.
After his meetings with some Burundian authorities, Kafando went to Dar-es-Salam, Tanzania on 3 November to meet the former Tanzanian President William Mukapa, the facilitator in the Burundian conflict. “They talked about the inter-Burundian dialogue process,” the statement reads.
Kefa Nibizi, Chairman of Frodebu Nyakuri Iragi Rya Ndadaye, says he was disappointed that the UN special envoy did not meet the representatives of political parties concerned by the inter-Burundian dialogue. “We do not expect much from these talks. The dialogue is over.
We expect that the facilitation team organize a final round to prepare a release on dialogue results, “says Nibizi. For him, there are no issues to discuss regarding the inter-Burundian dialogue.
Tatien Sibomana, member of UPRONA party, says Kafando should have met the political parties to enquire about their opinion on the dialogue process. “If he wants to resume the dialogue, he has to seek opinions from all parties,” says Sibomana.
Burundi has plunged into a political crisis since April 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza officially announced his candidacy for the presidential elections that he won in July 2017.
In March 2016, the Heads of State of East African Community of which Burundi is a member, appointed former Tanzanian President William Benjamin Mkapa to facilitate the Burundi peace talks in order to find a lasting solution to the crisis.
After his visit to Burundi and Tanzania, Kafando will present the report of his mission to the United Nations Security Council on 20 November.
IWACU Open Data
