What you should know about Melanie Harris Higgins the new US Ambassador to Burundi
RegionWeek Newsletter Vol IV, Issue #164 | Thursday, February 25, 2021
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Dear Readers
Last Tuesday, the US Embassy in Burundi welcomed Melanie H. Higgins, as the New Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of Burundi. In recent years she held a number of other positions at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Jakarta, Indonesia, Canberra, Australia, and Yaounde, Cameroon, in today’s newsletter we share some of her key views on Burundi.
Confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the next U.S. Ambassador to Burundi in November 2020, Melanie Harris Higgins, is, according to his official profile, experienced in leading personnel to craft and implement successful policies, mechanisms and advancing political and economic issues.
In her address to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on August 6, 2020, she highlighted the fact that Burundi’s new government has an opportunity to usher in a new, more vibrant era for the Burundian people.
She mentioned the expectation to see the effective fulfillment of the power-sharing envisioned in the Arusha Accords and reverse from the lack of media freedom, political pressure exerted over civil society organizations, and quelling of dissenting voices.
She noted that Under the previous government, opposition political parties and civil society faced restrictions, intimidation, harassment, arrest, disappearance, and even killings.
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There’s more work to do to bring the Burundian people the democracy they deserve.
Speaking to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations before her confirmation she pledged to encourage Burundi government leaders to respect human rights and the rule of law.
“I will stress the importance of a dynamic civil society for national stability and how critical it is to strengthening our bilateral commercial ties.”
Respect for Burundi’s sovereignty
For Amb. Melanie Harris Higgins, it is imperative that US bilateral dialogue and engagement respect Burundi’s sovereignty and culture, but we must also be direct in discussing our concerns.
“... I look forward to working with all Burundians to promote positive economic, political, and social developments in Burundi.”
Burundi pledges ‘full support and cooperation
Burundi’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday welcomed Ambassador Melanie H. Higgins “to the land of milk and honey,” mentioning that it will offer “its full support and cooperation in order to strengthen the historic ties of friendship and cooperation” between the two states.
The United States has important interests in the Republic of Burundi. Until 2015, the United States helped train and support Burundi peacekeeping troops deployed to Somalia as part of the African Union’s operation.
“ It is in our interest to resume this much-needed assistance to counter-terrorism in Somalia to keep U.S. citizens safe.” Amb. Melanie Harris Higgins told the Senate committee on Foreign Relations
I will work with the Burundian government to increase efforts to combat trafficking in persons as a necessary step to overcome Trafficking Victims Prevention Act restrictions, she added.
The United States recognized the Kingdom of Burundi on July 1, 1962, when the United Nations ended the Trusteeship over Ruanda-Urundi that had been administered by Belgium. President John F. Kennedy extended U.S. recognition upon Burundi’s formal independence in a letter sent on June 28, 1962, to His Majesty Mwami Mwambutsa IV. Embassy Usumbura (Bujumbura) was established on July 1, 1962.
US sanctions
In October 2015, US President Barack Obama announced Friday that Burundi will be ejected from a pact offering African nations much-desired US market access after the country’s president grabbed a third term in office.
In a notification to Congress, Obama said he had taken the step in response to a “continuing crackdown on opposition members, which has included assassinations, extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and torture.”
In 2015, U.S. President Obama issued an Executive Order applying sanctions against certain persons who have contributed to the electoral crisis in Burundi. These sanctions aim to freeze all U.S. assets of those named and prohibit U.S. nationals from engaging in transactions with said Burundi nationals.
In June 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in coordination with the Department of State, announced the imposition of visa sanctions on Burundi due to lack of cooperation in accepting its citizens and nationals ordered removed from the United States. Secretary of State Pompeo ordered consular officers to implement visa restrictions on certain categories of visa applicants. The suspension will remain in place until the Secretary of Homeland Security notifies the Secretary of State that cooperation on removals has improved to an acceptable level.
Background
Ms. Higgins earned a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD in 1995 and was awarded an M.A. from the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Washington, D.C. in 1996. She was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society in 1994. She is the recipient of numerous senior State Department awards as well as the Sinclaire Language Award from the American Foreign Service Association. She speaks French, Indonesian, and Bosnian.
Thanks for reading!
Fabrice Iranzi, RegionWeek.com
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