ON BURUNDI DIALOGUE IN ARUSHA TANZANIA:

President Museveni Kaguta of Uganda ( mediator) and Ex-Tanzania President Benjamin Mkapa, ( facilitator) of Burundi dialogue, have so far done a great job. The first official round of consultation(s) closed today. The facilitator was excited about all the parties’ openness and willingness to dialogue. According to the facilitator, the government of Burundi was remarkably open and interested in the dialogue.

Some European Union and the US officials attended all sessions of the dialogue. Some top US and European Union countries’ government officials are said to be the major sponsors of the so-called Burundi rebels who have terrorized the country for a year now.

Russia, China and some few European Union countries are opposed the US-EU open and notorious support for the so-called Burundi rebels who attack Burundi from, and with the help of, Rwanda. Russia and China opposed and stopped the US/UK infamous maneuver at the UNSC for ” humanitarian” intervention over fears that the US-EU wanted to use the UNSC Resolution to execute their regime change scheme in Burundi. Russia and China prevailed.

It’s unclear whether China and Russia, like their counterparts the US and EU, were represented in the dialogue. The EU picks the entire bill for the dialogue.

a) Why is the US and EU so interested in Burundi dialogue yet the US and EU are ” sympathetic” to the ” Rwanda based ” rebels” that terrorize Burundi?

The UNSC resolved that only peaceful parties will be represented in Arusha – Tanzania – for Burundi dialogue. The so-called armed groups were not invited to the dialogue.

b) Why were the US and EU ” supported” armed groups left out in a US and EU sponsored dialogue?

c) What’s the likely ” game plan” for Kagame and his fighters – the so-called rebels – that terrorize Burundi, after the ” rebels” were left out of the dialogue?

(d) why is it called Burundi dialogue and not Burundi peace talks?

The mediator as well as the financial sponsors of the dialogue are suspects in the ” conflict” and both do not see eye to eye these days.

e) Will President Museveni’s personality, interests in the region and his uncomfortable relationship with the EU/US affect (i) the quality of the dialogue and (ii) politics in the Great Lakes Region of Africa?

f) Shouldn’t the western and Eastern corporations fighting between themselves for Burundi’s natural resources, especially Nickel, have come to the dialogue as principal parties to the conflict for better resolution of the challenges Burundi is confronted with?

Dr Charles Kambanda