UN chief hopes to see political solution to current crisis in Burundi

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday voiced his hope to see a political solution to the current crisis in Burundi and urged the Burundian government to protect the lives of civilians in the country.

During his meeting with Alain Aime Nyamitwe, the minister of external relations and international cooperation of Burundi, the secretary-general "encouraged the government to redouble its efforts to find a political solution to the current crisis through an inclusive dialogue," Ban's spokesman told reporters here.

The secretary-general urged the Burundian government to protect the lives of all civilians and ensure that perpetrators of human rights violations are held accountable, the spokesman said.

Ban took note of the confidence-building measures announced by the government of Burundi during his recent visit to the African country and looked forward to their full implementation, according to the spokesman.

During the meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, the secretary-general and the Burundian official also exchanged views on the facilitation led by the Eastern African Community (EAC). Both sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation between Burundi, the EAC, the African Union, and the United Nations.

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.

On Feb. 22, Ban arrived in Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi, for a two-day visit in an attempt to help solve the crisis in the east African country. Endit