- In a bid to douse the looming political and institutional crisis in the country, the Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza has engaged the leaders of the country’s main opposition parties for a dialogue.
This follows grenade attacks on the homes of five key political kingpins last weekend. The opposition blamed President Nkurunziza for the Sunday attacks.
The five were among 69 parliamentarians who have been hard on the President to open talk with the opposition about forming a unity government.
Officials of the two main opposition Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) and Unity for National Progress (UPRONA) this week confirmed to have held dialogue with Mr Nkurunziza.
Opposition leaders described the dialogue as fruitful, though they raised concern about the disruption of the peace process.
The European Union representative for the Great Lakes region, Roland van de Geer, who spent four days in Burundi to ease the tension between government and opposition, was impressed about the dialogue between President Nkurunziza and the opposition.
The EU convoy told a news conference that he had found an “extremely constructive and positive atmosphere among all those I met“ because political parties are willing to find solution through dialogue while President Nkurunziza admitted being responsible for unblocking the institutional crisis.
The EU is concerned about the persistence of the crisis, fearing its negative offshoot on its cooperation with Burundi.
Over the years, the EU had been the main donor of Burundi, which had just emerged from more than a decade long civil war. The country has now found itself in a political crisis for several months. The lost of the ruling party majority in parliament made it impossible to legislate laws.
Police raided on the house of Spokesman of FRODEBU, Pancrace Cimpaye, seizing computers and documents while talks to resolve the institutional and political crisis continued. Police said he was wanted for insulting President Nkurunziza.
But most people believed he has caused anger among Burundian authorities after uttering comments accusing the government of being behind the weekend grenade attacks. His arrest has been vehemently condemned by his colleagues, arguing that it was untimely.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
front page
| news
| countries
| archive
| currencies
| news alerts login
| about afrol News
| contact
| advertise
| español