• The Burundi government in December 2020 announced it had agreed to relaunch political dialogue with the EU after a nearly five-year suspension.
• The EU suspended all direct funding to the Burundian government in 2016 for failing to meet its concerns over its human rights record
Image: EU IN BURUNDI
Burundi continues to reopen to the world under the administration of President Évariste Ndayishimiye, who assumed office in June last year.
In the latest development, the East African country on February 2 resumed engagement with the European Union.
Burundi Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Albert Shingiro, EU Ambassador Claude Bochu and the envoys of EU member states signed an agreement that marked the resumption of political dialogue between the two parties.
This is as provided for by Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement binding Africa, Caraibes, Pacific countries and the EU.
“I am delighted with the spirit of openness and mutual trust which characterised the resumption of political dialogue between Burundi and the European Union. The dialogue took place in a constructive climate; the ultimate goal being to lead to concrete results as soon as possible” Ambassador Shingiro tweeted on Tuesday.
Je me réjouis de l'esprit d'ouverture & de confiance mutuelle qui a caractérisé la reprise du dialogue politique entre le Burundi & @UEauBurundi.Le dialogue s'est déroulé ds un climat constructif; le but ultime étant de déboucher à des résultats concrets dans les meilleurs délais pic.twitter.com/fOKkYBiXVq
— Amb. Albert SHINGIRO (@AShingiro) February 2, 2021
The EU in Burundi tweeted, “Resumption expected after 5 years of political dialogue between #UE and @BurundiGov. Good working climate.”
“A new welcome and necessary step in the normalization of EU-Burundi relations.”
During the signing, the parties noted that the return of political dialogue is a shared priority that will benefit the Burundian and European peoples.
Burundi Trade Mark East Africa country representative Christian Nibasumba said it was encouraging to see the resumption of high-level political dialogue with a view to resuming cooperation after five years.
The Burundi government in December 2020 announced it had agreed to relaunch political dialogue with the EU after a nearly five-year suspension.
This followed a courtesy call by Ambassador Bochu on President Ndayishimiye when “the two sides agreed to break free from the past and look to the future by rebuilding their relationship”.
The EU suspended all direct funding to the Burundian government in 2016 for failing to meet its concerns over its human rights record, including the killing of 400 people during the 2015 political crisis.
Unrest erupted in 2015 when late President Pierre Nkurunziza insisted on vying for a third term, which the opposition was against.
The EU consequently suspended direct aid but maintained humanitarian support.
On December 7, the UN Security Council ended mandatory reporting on Burundi and encouraged international partners to continue dialogue towards resumption of development assistance. UNSC cited peaceful elections in May, which it said marked a new phase for the country.
Earlier in November, the Permanent Council of La Francophonie lifted the 2015 sanctions against the East African country during its 112th session.
This meant the International Organisation of la Francophonie would resume cooperation since 2015, when the sanctions were effected citing the political crisis.
On his last CNDD FDD party campaign on May 16, Ndayishimiye said his foreign policy will seek relationships based on "mutual respect, mutual accountability, strategic dialogue and demand-driven support".
He said Burundi would continue to respect its international obligations and his foreign policy will be aligned with the AU's Agenda 2063 and the UN sustainable development goals.
COTONOU AGREEMENT
The Cotonou Agreement is the framework guiding EU relations with African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries. It was adopted in 2000 to replace the 1975 Lomé Convention.
According to the agreement, the political dialogue seeks to exchange information, to foster mutual understanding, and to facilitate the establishment of agreed priorities and shared agendas.
“The dialogue shall facilitate consultations and strengthen cooperation between the parties within international fora as well as promote and sustain a system of effective multilateralism,” the agreement reads in part.
“Broadly based policies to promote peace and to prevent, manage and resolve violent conflicts shall play a prominent role in this dialogue, as shall the need to take full account of the objective of peace and democratic stability in the definition of priority areas of cooperation.