Country gripped by violence since Pierre Nkurunziza won third term as leader despite opposition claims it was illegal and would restart civil war

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

The EU is calling on Burundi to hold talks on human rights violations after President Pierre ­Nkurunziza won a contested third term as leader of his impoverished central African country, EU diplomatic sources said yesterday.

Burundi has been gripped by ­violence since April when Nkurunziza announced he would stand for office again despite opposition claims this breached a 2006 accord to end a ­disastrous civil war.

“We have the honour, in the name of the European Union and its member states, to invite your country to take part in consultations to study the situation in depth and, if necessary, take remedial measures,” says a letter to be sent to the president seen by AFP.

The opposition said July’s elections were rigged and the EU, one of the country’s main aid donors, recently imposed sanctions against four Burundian figures for undermining democracy and blocking efforts to find a political solution.

The diplomatic sources said member states meeting on Monday are expected to approve sending the letter which cites the bloc’s concerns about continued violence and rights violations.



“The consultations will allow Burundi to present the government’s programme, notably in so far as it concerns democratic principles, human rights and governance,” the letter says.



“The European Union will undertake these consultations in a spirit of dialogue in order to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution.” The talks would take place in Brussels at a date to be agreed, it adds.

The diplomatic sources said Monday’s meeting is also expected to approve a separate statement on Burundi deploring continued violence which has cost 120 lives, left thousands injured and displaced more than 190,000 people.



This has raised widespread fears that the tiny country in the heart of central Africa’s troubled Great Lakes region could be plunged back into civil war. The 2006 peace accord ended a conflict which lasted 13 years and left at least 300,000 people dead.