Uganda’s foreign minister has told CCTV that the UN and the African Union are backing peace negotiations that are scheduled soon in the capital Kampala. The country’s foreign minister said that it’s in the best interest of both parties that negotiations happen outside Burundi.
Minister Okello Oryem also said Uganda is offering help to foreign nationals fleeing violence in Burundi. On Thursday, Burundi ordered Belgian citizens to leave the troubled country. This comes a week after Belgium itself warned its citizens to evacuate.
Uganda was appointed by the AU to mediate talks between Burundian president Pierri Nkurunziza and the opposition. However talks in Burundi have not yielded much with reports of more killings on a daily basis mainly in the country’s capital Bujumbura. This continues to worry the region, the international community and civil society.
Everyday there are dead bodies on the streets of Burundi, the restriction of space, the economic decline affects women the other day some markets were torched this is where women get there daily livelihood. So that’s concerning but ultimately the situations of war sexual and gender based violence is the Key thing that is concerning.
Now Kampala says, a neutral ground for the warring parties to hold a dialogue gives hope for a political solution. Minister Oryem added that both parties have shown interest in talking and that Kampala has reached out to the UN for support. Uganda previously mediated AU backed talks in Kampala between DRC government and the M23 rebels.
