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Burundi parliamment rejects AU peacekeepers

Xinhua, December 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

Burundi's parliament on Monday rejected a plan of the African Union (AU) to deploy peacekeepers to Burundi amid rising insecurity.

At the start of a three-hour debate, National Assembly Speaker Pascal Nyabenda said the debate was meant to show sending troops was not necessary as there was no genocide looming in the East African nation.

The parliament acknowledged there had been killings since April when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his bid for a third term, which he later won, sparking mass protests.

However, most MPs said there were no signs of genocide. "There is a difference between killings and genocide," said Senate President Reverien Ndikuriyo.

Some MPs urged the government to do all its best to stop crimes to avoid "all pretexts" of foreign intervention.

Last week, the AU Peace and Security Council passed a resolution on the deployment of 5,000 troops to prevent massive killings or genocide taking place in Burundi, without the government's consent.

The council also urged a quick resumption of talks between political parties in Burundi under the mediation of Uganda.

Violence since April has left over 300 dead, according to civil society groups. Endit