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UN chief arrives in Burundi for two-day visit

Xinhua, February 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Burundi Monday evening for a two-day visit in an attempt to help solve the crisis in the east African country.

Upon arrival at Burundi's Bujumbura International Airport, Ban was greeted by a group of Burundian officials and a cheerful crowd of people who lined at main junctions of main roads connected to the Airport.

Ban later met with designated political actors, including Pascal Nyabenda, chairman of Burundi's ruling party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), and Agathon Rwasa, chairman of Burundians' Hope coalition and also chairman of the National Liberation Forces (FNL), and Leonce Ngendakumana, chairman of the Burundian Front for Democracy (Sahwanya-FRODEBU).

"We discussed Burundi's crisis and ways to stop violence by allowing parties to work freely, beginning an inclusive dialogue, reopening radio stations, reopening activities of the civil society, releasing political prisoners and repatriating refugees," said Leonce Ngendakumana, chairman of the Burundian Front for Democracy (Sahwanya-FRODEBU), at a news briefing. He hoped an inclusive dialogue is "quickly" to solve the country's crisis.

Some political parties close to the ruling party, however, were not allowed to meet the UN Secretary-General.

During his stay in Burundi, Ban is also scheduled to meet Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza on Tuesday morning.

Burundi has been gripped in a crisis since April 2015 following the announcement of Nkurunziza for a third term in office.

The violence has already claimed more than 400 lives and forced more than 200,000 persons into exile in neighboring countries. Endit