African Union Peace and security council updates on Burundi
RegionWeek Newsletter Vol IV, Issue #152 | Wednesday, January 27, 2021
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The Peace and Security Council at its 974th meeting held on 22 January 2021, on the situation in the Great Lakes Region, issued a Communiqué commending the peaceful transfer of power in Burundi, and the commitment by Burundi and Rwanda to work together in addressing the security challenges along their common border.
The African Union Peace and security council welcomes the positive developments taking place in the Great Lakes Region, including the various initiatives to further enhance inter-state cooperation, promote stability, peace, and development, and building mutual trust and confidence between and among the countries of the Region.
It highlights the steady progress in the ongoing transitional process in Sudan and in the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, the peaceful transfer of power in Burundi, the normalization of relations between Rwanda and Uganda, the commitment by Burundi and Rwanda to work together in addressing the security challenges along their common border.
It notes the peaceful settlement of the border dispute between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia, as well as the return of internally displaced persons and the repatriation of refugees in Burundi and South Sudan; further welcomes the removal, on 4 December 2020, of Burundi, from the agenda of the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
BURUNDI IN THE HEADLINES
This Wednesday, Prime Minister Alain Guillaume Bunyoni received members of the observatory for the prevention and eradication of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Burundi. It was an opportunity for the observatory’s Chairman Mr. Jean de Dieu Mutabazi to share with the Prime Minister their action plan. It was promised that the services of the prime minister will contribute actively to the work of the observatory.
The observatory for the prevention and eradication of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Burundi is responsible for promoting a national inter-ethnic front of resistance against genocide, war crimes, other crimes against humanity, as well as against globalization and collective guilt; to promote legislation against genocide, war crimes and other crimes against humanity, and to follow them strictly; and to propose policies and measures to rehabilitate victims of genocide, war crimes and other crimes against humanity.
Media Workshop
The Ministry in charge of communication organizes in Bujumbura, a 2-day workshop-debate since this Wednesday for media managers, journalists, and spokespersons from different institutions. In her opening remarks, the Minister of Communication said that the role of the media is essential in the development of the country.
The objective was to challenge the media and communication professionals on their ethics and professional deontology as well as their social responsibility. The Minister took the opportunity to congratulate the media for the professionalism they have shown during major events such as the general elections of 2020 and the campaign against Covid-19.
IN THE REGION
Somalia on Wednesday criticized the findings of a fact-finding commission, saying that it found no evidence showing that Kenya was interfering in Somalia’s affairs. A report by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an eight-country trade bloc in Africa comprising governments from the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley, and the African Great Lakes, said Tuesday a team that investigated the issue also found that Kenya was not arming militants to attack and destabilize areas in Somalia along their shared border. “The commission considers that these grievances, some of which are longstanding, do not appear sufficient to justify a diplomatic separation between Kenya and Somalia. It is true that the federal government of Somalia is sovereign in its decisions,” a part of the IGAD report read. (AA)
Uganda is conducting clinical trials of a domestically developed drug to cure COVID-19 infections after nearly a year of research by Ugandan scientists, the government said on Wednesday. Uganda has confirmed 39,188 COVID-19 cases and 318 deaths - a much lower toll than in most countries. Experts attribute the East African country's relative success so far in curbing the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic to years of experience battling other viral outbreaks like HIV AIDS and Ebola. In a statement, the government's Presidential Scientific Initiative on Epidemics (PRESIDE) said the new drug, code-named UBV-01N, was undergoing a second phase of testing involving 128 COVID-19 patients at Mulago, Uganda's largest referral hospital. (WKZO)
Tanzanian President John Magufuli has claimed that vaccinations against COVID-19 are dangerous and instead urged Tanzanians to protect themselves from the deadly disease by using domestic measures including steam inhalation. Magufuli has long downplayed the seriousness of COVID-19, which has killed more than 2.1 million people worldwide. He has previously questioned the efficacy of imported COVID tests and urged people to pray to protect themselves from the coronavirus. The president has resisted imposing strict lockdowns to contain the virus and his government has faced criticism over its secrecy regarding the outbreak in the East African nation, which has not published official COVID-19 statistics for more than six months. (ALJAZEERA)
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Fabrice Iranzi, Editor in Chief
RegionWeek.com
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