Excellency, Mr. First Vice-President of the Republic,
Mr. Minister of the Interior,
Ladies and Gentlemen Ministers,
Mr. President of the Independent National Electoral Commission,
Ladies and Gentlemen leaders of political parties,
Ladies and Gentlemen representatives of religious organizations,
Ladies and Gentlemen representatives of civil society,
Ladies and Gentlemen representatives of the media,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic Missions,
Distinguished guests,
I welcome the holding of this dialogue organized today by the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Burundi with the support of MENUB.
Allow me to convey the apologies of my colleague and friend, the Special Envoy Cassam Uteem, who unfortunately could not be with us today.
As you know, the United Nations is committed to supporting Burundi in organizing inclusive, credible and transparent elections. In this regard, United Nations Security Council resolution 2137 (2014) established, as of 1 January 2015, an Electoral Observation Mission in Burundi (MENUB), whose essential task is to monitor the electoral process in Burundi—before, during, and after the elections—and to report to the Security Council.
Progress has been made in recent months in preparing the elections by the competent bodies, with the support of MENUB and other bilateral, regional, and international partners of Burundi. Furthermore, important documents have been adopted by the parties involved in the electoral process, including the roadmap, the charter on non-violence, and the code of good conduct, which will be evaluated during this dialogue.
The nomination by the CNDD-FDD congress of President Nkurunziza for a third term sparked demonstrations that the police sought to contain. In the process, acts of violence occurred, causing deaths and injuries. In this context, the Secretary-General of the United Nations issued a statement on 28 April condemning the violence and calling on all Burundians to safeguard the country’s achievements in peace and democracy and to resolve their differences through dialogue. He reiterated the UN’s commitment to supporting peaceful, credible, and inclusive elections. He urged the Burundian authorities to respect the human rights of all Burundians, including freedom of assembly, association, and expression. He also called on the security services to remain impartial and exercise restraint in the face of public demonstrations, and urged all parties to reject violence and refrain from inflammatory or hateful language, which can only further increase tensions.
I take this opportunity to call on all Burundian parties to give this dialogue every chance of success, to work towards calming tensions, and to refrain from any actions that could fuel them. I urge them to engage in this dialogue with a view to agreeing on conditions conducive to continuing the electoral process and holding elections in a free, transparent, inclusive, and peaceful environment.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The violence witnessed in recent days in some neighborhoods of Bujumbura has raised deep concern and apprehension in Burundi, in the region, and beyond. After more than a decade of stability, no one wishes for this country to once again experience the disastrous effects of division and violence. This stability was achieved after much suffering and thanks to the spirit of compromise that prevailed throughout the negotiations leading to the Arusha Agreement. This achievement must be preserved. I urge all parties to remain committed to the Arusha Agreement, the true "stability guarantee" for Burundi, which any government emerging from the upcoming elections must pledge to respect and uphold.
In this shared commitment to pursuing stability and development, Burundi can count on the support of countries in the region, on the Continent, and of the international community.
I thank you for your attention and wish you a fruitful dialogue.