UN chief asks Senegalese diplomat to mediate talks in Burundi

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon announced Sunday that he has requested Abdoulaye Bathily of Senegal to offer good offices in Burundi in support of regional efforts to reduce tensions and help Burundians peacefully settle differences.

According to a statement released by Ban's spokesperson, Bathily, the Secretary-General's special representative and head of the UN regional office for Central Africa, will arrive in Bujumbura on Sunday.

"As elections draw near, the Secretary-General calls on all Burundian political leaders to address the current political crisis with the highest sense of responsibility," said Ban. "He urges them to resume political dialogue earnestly with a view to creating an environment conducive for peaceful, credible and inclusive elections."

UN special envoy to the Great Lakes region Said Djinnit left his post as mediator in Burundi last week after the country's opposition accused him of siding with the government in talks between the two sides over the crisis sparked by President Pierre Nkurunziza's third-term bid.

The talks, which started on May 5, were supposed to resume last week with two major issues -- the president's re-election bid and an end to protests -- on the agenda, but the opposition has demanded a new UN mediator.

Earlier this month, Burundian government postponed presidential elections from June 26 to July 15 amid continued protests against President Pierre Nkurunziza's decision to run for a third term, exceeding the constitutional limit of two terms. Endite