Burundi's VP says "foreign hand" behind 2015 crisis

Burundian First Vice-President Gaston Sindimwo Tuesday said a "foreign hand" had supported some civil society organizations to disrupt security that caused the east African country's 2015 crisis.

Sindimwo was referring to the protests following the decision by President Pierre Nkurunziza to run for his third term in 2015. The protests later turned into a violent insurgency.

"Some civil society organizations backed by a foreign hand are responsible for the country's 2015 crisis," said Sindimwo.

According to him, some countries and organizations "supported insurgents" and some of them suspended cooperation with Burundi.

Sindimwo however indicated that in 2016, Burundi has been enjoying stability and peace, adding that the east African nation is now engaged on the development path.

"The situation is now normal throughout the country, even in localities that hosted insurgents," said Sindimwo.

He called on the international community to continue supporting Burundi and urged those that had suspended cooperation with Burundi to resume relations.

Belgium, Rwanda and the European Union (EU) have been accused by the Burundian government of supporting insurgents who had been planning to destabilize Burundi.

Their relations with Burundi have deteriorated since April 2015, when Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run his controversial third term in violation of the national constitution and the 2000 Arusha Agreement that ended a decade-long civil war.

Burundi accused Rwanda of hosting Burundians who staged a failed coup on May 13, 2015 and of providing military training to those trying to destabilize Burundi.

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