Highlights
On 11 June, the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region, Said Djinnit, stepped down as facilitator of the peace-talks between the Burundian government, opposition parties and civil society groups. Mr. Djinnit had attempted to assist in the resolution of the crisis following President Pierre Nkurunziza’s announcement to run for a third term. He encouraged all parties to continue their dialogue “with a view to create conditions conducive to holding free, fair, inclusive and peaceful elections”.
At the end of the African Union (AU) Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 13-15 June, the Peace and Security Council of the AU announced in a communiqué that it would send military experts from across the continent to Burundi in collaboration with the Government and other concerned actors, to verify the process of disarming militias and other armed groups. The Council also proposed the deployment of an AU election observer mission, if conditions allow for the organization of free, fair and transparent elections.
On 13 June, Burundi’s independent electoral commission (CENI) stated that it had filled the two vacant committee positions, and that it now had the required five members. Two out of the five CENI members resigned shortly after the crisis erupted, including its vice-president who fled the country in May.