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Burundi cancels arrest warrants against some opposition officials

Xinhua, February 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

Burundian Attorney General Valentin Bagorikunda Friday cancelled arrest warrants against 15 officials from opposition parties, the civil society and media, most of whom are in exile.

Bagorikunda said in a letter sent to the Burundian judicial police general commissioner that"international arrest warrants that had been issued against 15 persons have been cancelled."

Bagorikunda called on the judicial police general commissioner to instruct Interpol to "deactivate the arrest warrants" against the 15 persons.

The cancelled include former Speaker of the National Assembly Pie Ntavyohanyuma, former Second Vice-President Gervais Rufyikiri, and Leonard Nyangoma, chairman of the National Council for the Restoration of the Arusha Accord (CNARED).

A press release from the CNARED issued Friday night, however, said the attorney general's decision is "only aimed to convince" senior officials who are to visit Burundi, namely UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon due in Burundi on Feb. 22-23 and a high-level of African heads of state on Feb. 25, that the Burundian government has a good will.

"This action also intends to divert the attention of the European Union (EU), which is about to take sanctions against the Burundian government," said Pancrace Cimpaye, one of the spokespersons of the CNARED.

According to the CNARED, the cancellation of arrest warrants against some opposition leaders is a way to "divide" the opposition platform, adding that this shows that the Burundian government wants to exclude the possibility of holding talks outside Burundi.

"The best way for the government is to cancel all unfair arrest warrants against politicians, representatives of the civil society and journalists, who are opposed to Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza's third term," said Cimpaye.

Burundi is facing a political crisis that broke out in April 2015 following the announcement by President Pierre Nkurunziza that he would be seeking a third term.

His candidature, which was opposed by the opposition and civil society groups, resulted into a wave of protests, violence and even a failed coup on May 13, 2015.

Over 400 persons are reported to have been killed since then. Enditem