Facilitator arrives in Burundi to attempt to settle country's 2015 crisis

The facilitator in the inter-Burundian talks, also former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, arrived Wednesday evening in Burundi to look at ways of settling the east African country's 2015 crisis.

An agenda provided by the Burundian External Relations and International Cooperation Ministry said that Mkapa is expected to hold consultations on Thursday with Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza, Secretary General of the Burundian ruling party Evariste Ndayishimiye, former Burundian President Domitien Ndayizeye, representatives of political parties, the civil society, religious groups, women and youth groups.

The inter-Burundian dialogue at the external level has made no concrete progress since its launch in December 2015.

In January 2016, the Burundian government boycotted talks in Arusha, Tanzania, arguing that it could not sit on the "same table" with what it called "non-peaceful" stakeholders.

Burundi plunged into a crisis since April 2015 when Burundian President Nkurunziza decided to run his controversial third term in violation of the national constitution and the 2000 Arusha Agreement.

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

More than 500 people in Burundi have been killed and some 300,000 people fled to neighboring countries mostly Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda since the outbreak of the crisis. Endit