The United Nations Security Council’s ambassadors headed to Burundi on Wednesday to push the government to open up serious talks with the opposition and agree to an African Union (AU) force that could prevent a slide to all-out war.
This is the second time that the 15-member council has travelled to the East African country in less than a year.
The United Nations (UN) has warned that months of violence could escalate into ethnic killings and mass atrocities.
“We should all be worried,” US Ambassador Samantha Power told AFP on the eve of the trip.
“Every day, there are reports of grenade attacks or bodies found on the side of the street in the morning.”
“There is a history here where a match can be lit and things can spiral very, very quickly.”
Violence in Burundi escalated in April 2015 after president Pierre Nkurunziza declared that he would vie for a third term in office, before he went on to win the disputed poll.
More than 400 people have been killed in the violence, with at least 230,000 others fleeing to neighbouring countries.
The visit organised by the United States, France and Angola has been in the works for weeks and the government has made clear it will not be rolling out the red carpet for the council envoys.
