BURUNDI CRISIS NEEDS URGENT ATTENTION

Sometime in May, 2015, I called for the intervention of the African Union press Burundian President Pierre Nkurunzinza to respect the constitution and abandon his third term bid because it would spell serious ramifications on the socio-political and economic instability in that country and around the Great Lakes region. Well, Africa just like the rest of the world watched President Pierre Nkurunziza disregard calls for him to respect the constitution and went ahead to obtain a counterfeit mandate through a Presidential election held on 21 July 2015. This election was obviously boycotted by the opposition as it was deemed fraught and unfair. The veritable truth is that President Pierre Nkurunziza was ineligible to run for a third term. Preceding the election was even a failed attempt by a Military mutiny that attempted to depose him from power.  Since President Pierre Nkurunzinza secured a third term, there appears to be smokescreen that life in Burundi is back to normal and yet the country is on the brink of civil war with international reports and observers suggesting that situation has gravely degenerated to the extent that there are proposals to request the African Union to take decisive action to forestall further violence. 

The innocent citizens haven been displaced with a reported 1,200 Burundians seeking refuge in neighboring Tanzania. There have also been reports of security forces in Burundi being accused of killings targeted the opposition leaders and ordinary citizens. As if that is not enough, there has been upsurge of full scale conflict on political divide and ethnic lines reminiscent of the events that followed the death of President Cyprien Ntaryamira who was President of Burundi until 6 April 1994. This is so because, it appears a targeted and well-orchestrated conflict targeting at specific sections of society.   While the world in 1994,  witnessed a catastrophic episode as thousands of people were killed in the civil war along ethnic lines between the Hutu majority and minority Tutsis. That kind of situation should never be allowed to occur under what circumstances including the current one. In doing so, serious questions should be asked and adequately responded to by the African Union and the United Nations. There have been propositions to send five thousand peacekeepers to Burundi despite resistance from the Bujumbura. How long should Africa wait before the troops are deployed? What about the individual at the epicentre of this crisis? What measures will the African Union take to ensure that post-crisis?   What role will the AU play to guarantee civil liberties to the general populace? 

The Great Lake region has generally been prone to conflict and therefore there is need to do everything possible to expeditiously forestall the current crisis before it sucks in other neighbouring countries.  In view of this, it is cardinal that all member state of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region which Zambia is a member of actively participate in resolving this conflict.  

As most Zambians maybe aware, Zambia and Burundi share borders through the great Lake Tanganyika which consequently there have been trade relations taking place between the two countries. Just in 2013, Zambia is reported to have exported a total of 40,000 metric tonnes of maize to Burundi as clear indication of the trade potential.  For more trade relations to proliferate and fortified, Zambia should play an active role to ensure that Burundi remains politically stable. 

In an event that the Burundi Constitutional Court rules that President Pierre Nkurunziza is eligible to run for a third term, the African Union and the International Community should impose sanctions Burundi to ensure that the will of the great majority is respected. The situation in Burundi is serious and African and the World at large cannot afford to be inconspicuous about it.  It is very simple; President Pierre Nkurunziza must respect the constitution and the will of the people.