An African Union (AU) delegation of five Heads of State visited Burundi to conduct mediation efforts in the violence hit nation.
The leaders met with Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza in Bujumbura on Friday, at the end of a two-day visit to push for talks to end the country’s political crisis. The delegation was also expected to meet with government, opposition, and civil society leaders. Their trip follows a visit to Burundi this week by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as part of an overall international effort to end the country’s 10-month old conflict.
The Burundian government however said it will not negotiate with certain opposition figures, who it considers to be coup plotters. The International Crisis Group has called on the delegation to put pressure on the country’s leaders in order to reach a solution before the crisis worsens.
According to the Burundian government, the visit by the high powered AU delegation headed by South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma, is also meant to confirm that peace and security have returned to the country.
But even as the presidents of South Africa, Chad, Mauritania, Gabon, and Senegal visit the country, rights groups claim deepening violence there. President Zuma is however optimistic that peace can be achieved through dialogue.
