Burundian peace talks in limbo days before election

Another spanner has been thrown into the wheel of progress in the bid to find a possible truce to the Burundian political crisis that has plunged the country into nationwide protests and unrests as well as attempted coup yesterday as the Burundi Government led by the embattled President Pierre Nkurunziza and his officials failed to show up for peace talks slated for Uganda by Ugandan Defence Minister and Mediator Crispus Kiyonga.

President Pierre Nkurunziza being led to a political campaign rally by loyalist-soldiers

This suspension is coming 48hours before the Burundians go to the polls in an election which the opposition is saying President Pierre Nkurunziza is not constitutional eligible to contest. Opposition groups are saying another term would be violation of the peace deal that ended the 12 years of civil war in 2006 that claimed many lives. 

While announcing the suspension of talks Kiyonga said: Today, we have adjourned sine die, because yesterday we agreed that we will all be here by nine o'clock in the morning. We have been waiting, we have been making calls and we have not seen anyone from government. Since dialogue takes two parties the absence means we have to hold until the government is ready to continue the dialogue. The dialogue is not over, we have to be patient and we have to give the benefit of the doubt to the government.

Party supporters at one of Nkurunziza campaign rallies

Earlier this year President Nkurunziza got a controversial nod of the Burundian Constitution through the lawmakers’ vote to stand for another term’s election making him contest for the  third term against the constitutionally allowed two-term limit.

Aware of the likely consequences of another civil crisis in Burundi, concerned groups in Africa and beyond including the African Union (AU) have expressed fears that the crisis could plunge Burundi that has a history of ethnic and political violence back into another round of civil war and add another major crisis to the already unstable Great Lakes region.

A policewoman carries a Burundian flag during a protest

Burundians protesting alleged rape of the Burundian Constitution by President Nkurunziza

A coup de'tat while Nkurunziza was out of country earlier this year prompts street celebrations, sparks fears over impact on volatile region