Mediation intended to end civil have been suspended until after Tuesday’s
election, according to a report by the Associated Press.
Government representatives failed to appear for talks in Burundi on
Sunday, according to a facilitator for the talks.
Ugandan defence minister Crispus Kiyonga, who is acting as mediator,
stopped short of saying the talks had collapsed and said the government should
be given a chance to explain itself.
Burundi has been rocked by violence that has left more than 100 people
dead. Over 144,000 people have fled the country since the ruling party
announced President Pierre Nkurunziza’s candidacy in April.
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| Over 100 people have been killed in violence in Burundi since April |
Interior minister Edouard Nduwimana claimed the government skipped the
talks because of statements made by the opposition about the need for
democratic institutions, which he said suggested they hoped to take power
through a coup.
He told the Associated Press the government had to discuss the
opposition’s remarks with the facilitator before returning to the talks. The
opposition, however, maintained that the government quit because discussions
had shifted to the upcoming elections.
“The government does not want to discuss the electoral calendar and
wants to do everything according to its plan,” said opposition spokesman Jean
Minani.
Kiyonga said talks will continue even after the elections and the
contentious issue of the president’s third term will still be in the agenda.
Earlier, UN-backed negotiations between the parties collapsed after
the opposition insisted on Nkurunziza’s exit.