Brussels, 17/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 16 March, the foreign affairs ministers of the 28 EU member states expressed their concern in Brussels about the pre-electoral violence in Burundi and called for inclusive, peaceful and transparent general elections to the be held this year, in line with the commitments taken by all the political parties.
In its unanimous conclusions, the Council of the EU insists on the importance of safeguarding the achievements of the Arusha peace agreement - which has enabled Burundi to leave years of civil wars behind. “The upcoming electoral cycle in Burundi, which will run from May to August 2015, is key to consolidating the progress made and helping build a stronger future. The country cannot afford to miss this opportunity and run the risk of undoing its progress”, the Council warns.
The Council calls on all the political parties and actors to respect the electoral code fully, as well as the roadmap for the elections and the code of good conduct that they have adopted. It encourages the independent national electoral commission (CENI) “to perform its role with complete impartiality and independence”.
Concerned at the tension and intimidation that have marked the pre-electoral period, the EU calls on the authorities of Burundi to make further efforts to ensure an “inclusive, peaceful and transparent” electoral process. The EU expresses its concern over the numerous legal proceedings initiated against the leaders of opposition parties and civil society representatives involved in defending human rights - which “risk discrediting the entire electoral process and the justice system”, the EU warns. It confirms that it will deploy an electoral observation mission from April in response to a request to do so by the Burundian authorities. (Aminata Niang)