On
Burundi, US
Supports EAC,
Make Visa Denial
Threat,
Lethargy by
Penholder
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, May 13,
with video
-- Amid the
protests and
crackdown
after Pierre
Nkurunziza was
nominated to
run for a
third term as
President in
seeming
violation of
the Arusha
Peace Accord,
on May 13
General
Godefroid
Niyombare
announced the
ouster of
Nkurunziza
while the
latter was,
like UN envoy
Said Djinnit,
in Tanzania
for the East
African
Community
meeting.
On the evening
of May 13, the
US State
Department
through its
Deputy
Spokesperson
Marie Harf
(with John
Kirby set to
take over the
top spot
vacate by Jen
Psaki) issued
this:
"The
United States
is deeply
concerned by
today’s
developments
in
Burundi.
We call on all
parties to
immediately
end the
violence, to
exercise
restraint, and
above all to
prioritize
peace in
Burundi.
We support
East African
Community
leaders’ call
today for
peaceful,
democratic
elections in
line with
Burundi’s
electoral laws
and the spirit
of the Arusha
Agreement.
"We urge all
stakeholders
to take the
steps
necessary to
create the
conditions
required for
peaceful,
timely,
credible and
transparent
elections, and
to respect the
rule of law,
including
those
provisions of
Burundian law
regarding
civilian rule.
"The Arusha
Agreement was
about ending
years of
violence and
civil war in
Burundi.
It is
essential for
all Burundians
– both
military and
civilian – to
uphold the
spirit of this
agreement and
reject
violence.
The United
States will
continue to
monitor the
situation in
Burundi
closely, and
will, as
appropriate,
refuse U.S.
visas to those
who
participate
in, plan, or
order violence
against the
civilian
population."
Throughout
May 13 Inner
City Press
asked the
Presidency of
the UN
Security
Council for
May,
Lithuania,
when Burundi
might be
addressed. At
the luncheon
with the
Secretary
General was
the first
response.
Then
after five
p.m. Inner
City Press
asked
Lithuania's
Permanent
Representative
to the UN, who
replied there
will be an
emergency
meeting on
Burundi on May
14 after the
Council's
previously
scheduled
meeting on
Iraq; Said
Djinnit will
brief.
But
what will he
say?
On
May 15, the UN
Peacebuilding
Configuration
on Burundi is
set to hear
from UN DPA
chief Jeff Feltman.
On Monday they
heard from
Minister
Nduwimana -
where is he
now?
The UN
Security
Council was
late in
meeting on
events in
Burundi - the
penholder was
less than
vocal against
the proposed
third term -
and one
wonders how
slow they will
be on this
coup.
Inner City
Press sources
have told it
that France's
Ambassador to
Burundi had
been telling
the opposition
they should
just accept
the third
term,
allegedly in
exchange for
other
"reforms." Now
this.
On
May 12, Inner
City Press had
asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric
Inner
City Press: I
wanted to ask
one follow-up
on
Burundi.
There's been a
decision or
announcement
by a number of
European
countries to
not actually
pay funds they
were going to
pay for the
upcoming
elections.
Since there's
a UN electoral
mission there,
is that… what
does the
mission think?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I'll get a… I
have not
gotten
anything from
them.
That's today's
UN.
On
May 11, the UN
Peacebuilding
Configuration
for Burundi
met and sought
answers from
Burundi's
minister by
video.
Asking
questions were
Swiss
Permanent
Representative
Paul Seger and
his
counterparts
from Belgium
and Tanzania,
Ambassador
Manongi, as
well as the
UK's Deputy
Permanent
Representative
Peter Wilson.
France, the
penholder on
Burundi in the
UN Security
Council, did
not send its
Permanent
Representative
Francois
Delattre nor
his Deputy
Alexis Lamec.
Questions were
raised about
the armed
youth wing,
the crackdown
on media, the
outward flows
of refugees.
The responses
were generally
dismissive --
Wilson
wondered aloud
at the
disparity
between the
Minister's
denials on the
youth wing and
all other
available
information --
and on press
freedom,
troubling.
Media is
political, the
minister said,
justifying the
crackdown.
But
what will come
next? Later on
May 11, the US
issued a travel
warning on
Burundi
saying among
other things
that "Armed
groups operate
in Burundi...
Exchanges of
gunfire and
grenade
attacks have
increased but
are usually
not directed
at
foreigners."
It's that kind
of thinking
that the
ruling party
seems to be
counting on.
Watch this
site.
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