AFP, ADDIS ABABA: UN Security Council ambassadors and African Union leaders met Saturday for crisis talks on Burundi, after the government refused a proposed AU force to stem violence in the troubled country.
The meeting, in the AU headquarters in Ethiopia, comes a day after the UN envoys met with President Pierre Nkurunziza in Burundi, where they appealed for him to take urgent action to stop the violence sparked by his re-election.
UN council envoys have pushed for the government to hold talks with the opposition and agree to the presence of international troops—such as a proposed 5,000-strong African Union force—to restore stability. AU Peace and Security Council chief Smail Chergui said Saturday it was crucial the international community “remain united on Burundi”, which has been gripped by violence since April.
Chergui said there was a “strong convergence of views” between AU and UN envoys on the “urgent need for inclusive political dialogue” to resolve the crisis.