A regional consultative meeting convened in Arusha, Tanzania this week to deliberate on the way forward on the situation in Burundi, and reiterated the need for the conflicting parties in Burundi to embrace political dialogue as the only feasible way to end the crisis there.

 According to a press statement from the East African Community (EAC) secretariate, the meeting convened by Tanzania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, EAC, Regional and International Relations, Amb. Dr Augustine Mahiga, was a follow up on the re-launch of the dialogue in Kampala, Uganda by President Yoweri Museveni, last month.

 "The meeting expressed concern on the continued political crisis in Burundi and its potential to degenerate further with far reaching humanitarian implications; and in that regard reiterated the need for the parties to embrace political dialogue as the only feasible way to end the crisis in Burundi,” reads part of the statement.

 Museveni is the facilitator of the Burundi dialogue.

The meeting expressed support for the facilitation efforts under President Museveni and noted that the dialogue previously scheduled for Wednesday "did not take place due to ongoing consultations.”

"The meeting committed to intensify consultations with the Burundi government and the opposition with a view to continue the Burundi political dialogue as soon as possible.”

Apart from Amb. Dr Mahiga who also doubles as Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, the meeting was also attended by Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, Angola’s Minister for Foreign Affairs who is also Chairperson of the Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

 Others present included Dr  Crispus Kiyonga, Uganda’s Minister for Defence who represented President Museveni; Amb. Dr Richard Sezibera, EAC Secretary General; and Kassimi Bamba, from the African Union Office in Burundi.

 Rival Burundi factions first held talks in Uganda at the end December, last year, resuming long-stalled negotiations aimed at ending months of violence in the small east African nation.

 These initial talks were expected to lay the groundwork for further negotiations, to be held in Arusha. During last month’s preliminary talks held in state house in Entebbe, Museveni appealed to the parties – government and opposition – of the Burundi conflict to sit down and have a political solution so that they save their people from suffering.

 The talks in Arusha were announced last month as part of regional efforts to resolve a crisis triggered by Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision to run for a third term in office - a move opponents described as violating the constitution.

 Earlier this week, Burundi’s government indicated it would not take part in peace talks with the opposition. The peace talks were supposed to be held on Wednesday.

 More than 250,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries with many others internally displaced and more than 400 killed since protests started in April last year.

 Reports indicate that on Monday, explosions again hit the capital Bujumbura, injuring at least two people.

 End last year, the AU said it will send into Burundi a 5,000-strong force dubbed the African Prevention and Protection Mission in Burundi (MAPROBU), to halt the violence but Bujumbura called the proposed peacekeeping mission an "invasion force” that it would fight.

  An AU fact-finding mission sent to Burundi last month reported that the situation of violence there was of great concern. 

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has previously also urged all sides to engage in credible and inclusive political dialogue, to end the crisis. 

Life sentence for failed May 2015 coup plotters

 Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Prosecution lawyers demanded that 28 men on trial for launching a failed coup in May 2015 be jailed for life.

 Media reports indicate that former Burundi defence minister, Cyrille Ndayirukiye, the second in command, as well as two other army generals and two police commissioners admitted taking part in the failed coup bid.

 They cited the violent repression of anti-government protests to justify their attempted take-over of power. Coup leader Gen. Godefroid Niyombare is still on the run.