MINISTERS responsible for East African Community (EAC) affairs held an emergency meeting in Dar es Salaam to discuss two reports on the political situation in Burundi.
The meeting, chaired by East African Cooperation Minister Dr Harrison Mwakyembe was presented with the two reports on implementation of directives and recommendations made by the EAC Heads of State during their summit on May 31.
The first report was from the joint facilitation committee comprising of members of the international Great Lakes Region (IGLR), eminent persons, representatives from the United Nations and the African Union.
The second report was from the EAC ministerial delegation, which met for a oneday working visit in Burundi to discuss with authorities there on the implementation of the EAC Heads of State directives and recommendations.
The reports were discussed in camera, with the chairperson promising “to brief journalists within two hours’’ on what has been agreed on an agenda that will be presented to the Heads of State in their Extraordinary Summit in Dar es Salaam today. However, by around 5.15 pm, the high level delegations had not reached a consensus.
Dr Mwakyembe told journalists that things were not going to end as quickly as he had earlier thought. “I cannot promise anything right now because things are not easy inside there; we don’t know what time we will finish,” he told journalists who were waiting for the final briefing.The meeting, chaired by East African Cooperation Minister Dr Harrison Mwakyembe was presented with the two reports on implementation of directives and recommendations made by the EAC Heads of State during their summit on May 31.
The first report was from the joint facilitation committee comprising of members of the international Great Lakes Region (IGLR), eminent persons, representatives from the United Nations and the African Union.
The second report was from the EAC ministerial delegation, which met for a oneday working visit in Burundi to discuss with authorities there on the implementation of the EAC Heads of State directives and recommendations.
The reports were discussed in camera, with the chairperson promising “to brief journalists within two hours’’ on what has been agreed on an agenda that will be presented to the Heads of State in their Extraordinary Summit in Dar es Salaam today. However, by around 5.15 pm, the high level delegations had not reached a consensus.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the EAC Secretary General, Dr Richard Sezibera, said the meeting has come at an opportune time for further recommendations for the people of Burundi.
In less than a fortnight, Burundi is expecting to hold presidential elections. Parliamentary and local elections were held on June 29, this year despite an appeal by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon for a postponement after months of turmoil.
The European Union (EU), a major donor to the aid-reliant country, has threatened to withhold funds after Burundi ignored UN and African calls for a postponement of the parliamentary vote and presidential election.
The UN electoral observer mission said in a report that the elections took place “in a tense political crisis and a climate of widespread fear and intimidation in parts of the country”.
/Daily News.
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