Upcoming inter-Burundian dialogue session may not succeed, political opponent warns

“Despite the preparation, nothing new will come out of the next inter-Burundian dialogue round,” said Léonce Ngendakumana, deputy-chairman of the opposition party FRODEBU after a meeting with Michel Kafando, UNSG Special Envoy to Burundi.

Léonce Ngendakumana “Given the behavior of the Burundian government and the facilitation that fails to find the solution to Burundi problems, the next round of the dialogue may not yield positive results”

The latter met on September 6 with representatives of the opposition political parties based in Burundi.

Michel Kafando is visiting Bujumbura since September 3rd to meet with the actors in the Burundi conflict in order to prepare the next round of the inter-Burundian dialogue.

Léonce Ngendakumana indicates that they gave him a message to convey to the Secretary General of the United Nations. “He must know that things are getting worse and worse in our country and that the inter-Burundian dialogue has broken off for several months,” he says. Ngendakumana believes that Burundi government will not participate in the next dialogue session.

“Given the behavior of the Burundian government and the facilitation that fails to find the solution to Burundi problems, the next round may not yield positive results” he says.

Ngendakumana says political opponents asked Kafando to tell the facilitator in Burundi conflict that they are not satisfied with the way the dialogue is prepared and being conducted. “If ever the dialogue resumes, it must be based on what the Burundians agreed at the end of 2017,” says Ndikumana adding that “the Arusha Agreement must remain the reference standard in Burundi management.”

He accuses the government of violating the Arusha Agreement. “The new Constitution, the roadmap to 2020 elections signed in the meeting held in Kayanza in early August, the newly approved members of National Independent Electoral Commission violate the Arusha Accord democracy,” says Ngendakumana.

Kafando assured them that he is aware of the slowness of the dialogue process and promised to meet the facilitator. “We urged him to encourage Burundian authorities to engage in the inclusive inter-Burundian dialogue,” he says.