African Union backs away from imposing peacekeepers on Burundi

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has arrived in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa to join her colleagues at the 26th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union.

He said he was pleased with the re-election of South Africa as a member of the AU Peace and Security Council for a two year term. Opponents argued this violated the two-term limit set out in the constitution, based on the 2005 Arusha peace accords that ended the civil war. After Nkurunziza secured victory at the polls, the unrest shifted to politically targeted killings on both sides, disappearances, and government sweeps of suspected rebel hideouts. Since July, the crisis has only grown more acute. At least 230,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries.

Déby said he shall try to be concrete and also to be as close as to the expectation of the peoples in his one-year tenure. Witness reports claim there are nine mass graves in the area. This conflict has seen hundreds of people die, with hundreds of thousands more displaced.

Burundi has strongly objected to the decision and warned the AU against deploying troops, saying it amounts to an invasion.

“It would appear that (Burundian) government’s propaganda about the situation in the country, had won over certain countries, and this may have led to this decision”.

Asked whether Bujumbura had the support of other nations opposed to the plan, Burundian Foreign Minister Alain Nyamitwe insisted it did.

President Lungu further demands that Africa needs to participate in the formulation of interventions that will address various challenges that threaten the stability and security of the continent.

The AU charter allows a force to be sent against the will of a host country if there is a risk of serious violence, such as genocide.

On the global stage, largely out of necessity, the debate has moved on from the outcome of the election to trying to avert a much greater crisis.

The tiny East African nation of Burundi remains unbowed despite pressure from Western officials.

“Economic activity will vary across Sub-Saharan Africa, with consumption growth remaining weak in oil exporting countries as fuel costs rise, while lower inflation in oil importing countries helps boost consumer spending”, said the statement. It knows what Burundi stands to lose if a resolution is not found. Chaos in Burundi means more chaos in the DRC, which undermines South Africa’s own objectives. It is a matter of human dignity and human rights.

He said the United Nations backed the AU’s proposal “to deploy human rights observers and to establish a prevention and protection mission” in Burundi. But the PSC operates on consensus, and it is not clear what exactly South Africa’s thinking might be.

Mugabe’s speech continued with many reminiscences about the “liberation struggle” in Africa and closed when he finally handed over the chairmanship of the African Union to Chad’s President Idriss Deby, reportedly giving him a mock bang on the head with the chairperson’s gavel as he did so.

Yahya Jammeh, president of Gambia, which is on the 15-member AU peace and security council, had said on Saturday some African states were against sending any peacekeepers to Burundi against its will. He had raised fears the AU was wavering on the issue. Last year, the African Union agreed on deploying 5000 peacekeeping soldiers to Burundi, a decision that Nkurunziza was clearly against.