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UN Security Council voices "deep concern" over political situation in Burundi

Xinhua, October 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

The UN Security Council on Friday expressed its "deep concern over the political situation and the lack of progress in implementing resolution 2303 (2016)" in Burundi, and called on States in the region to contribute to a peaceful solution to the crisis in the east African country.

The 15-nation council, in a press statement issued here, reiterated its demand that "all sides in Burundi refrain from any action that would threaten peace and stability in the country" or undermine the inter-Burundian dialogue.

"In that regard, they stressed the utmost importance of respecting the Constitution as well as the letter and spirit of the Arusha Agreement, which has helped to sustain a decade of peace in Burundi," it said.

The press statement was issued after the Security Council was briefed on Thursday by the special adviser to the UN secretary-general on conflict prevention, including in Burundi, Jamal Benomar, on the status of the implementation of resolution 2303 (2016) in the country.

"The members of the Security Council reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity and unity of Burundi," the statement said.

In August, the Burundian Parliament rejected the Security Council resolution on deploying 228 police agents to oversee Burundi' s security situation.

Burundian lawmakers rejected the UN Security Council resolution in two separate statements signed by National Assembly (lower chamber) Speaker Pascal Nyabenda and Senate (upper chamber) President Reverien Ndikuriyo.

On July 29, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2303 authorizing the deployment of up to 228 police forces to Burundi for an initial period of a year.

Among the 15 Council members, 11 voted in favor while China, Angola, Egypt and Venezuela abstained.

However, the Burundian government said it would only accept no more than 50 UN police forces.

Burundi plunged into bloody chaos from April 2015 when the east African country' s President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his intention to vie for the presidency for a third five-year-term.

More than 500 people in Burundi have been killed and some 270,000 people fled to neighboring countries, mostly Tanzania, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo since the outbreak of the crisis. Enditem