UN CHIEF WELCOMES REGION-LED MEETINGS OF POLITICAL DIALOGUE FOR BURUNDI

At Ndutu refugee camp in Tanzania, Abdul Yamuremye in his tent with his wife Hadija Umugure and their family fled violence in Burundi after their house had been attacked killing Abdul's two brothers, a friend who stayed with them and her three children. Photo: UNHCR/Benjamin Loyseau

27 May 2016 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the meetings of the political dialogue for Burundi, held in Arusha, from 21 to 24 May under the auspices of the Facilitator of the East African Community (EAC), Benjamin William Mkapa, former President of Tanzania.
Commending Mr. Mkapa’s decision to convene further meetings including those stakeholders who were not present in Arusha, the Secretary-General, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, stressed that a solution to the year-long political crisis in Burundi can only be found through an inclusive dialogue process that upholds the Constitution of Burundi, as well as the principles of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement for Burundi, of which the UN and the region are guarantors.
Mr. Ban in his statement fully supported regional efforts aimed at fostering a peaceful settlement to the crisis and reiterated the readiness of the UN to provide technical and substantive backing to the Facilitation, as mandated by the UN Security Council.

CREDIT: UN NEWS CENTRE