BUJUMBURA November 23rd (ABP) – A total of 11 political parties approved in Burundi issued a joint statement on Thursday November 21, 2019, condemning the Rwandan military aggression against Burundi.
In that statement, read by Mr. Jean de Dieu Mutabazi, leader of the RADEBU party, on behalf of those peers, they say they “learned with dismay, from various reliable sources, that Rwandan soldiers crossed the Burundian border and attacked a Burundian military station located in Twinyoni village at Marura, Mabayi commune in Cibitoke province (north-west), in the Kibira forest during the night of 16-17 November 2019”.
The signatory parties to the statement note that such attacks from Rwanda to neighboring countries are not dated today.
Those political parties condemn this Rwandan military aggression against its neighbor Burundi, “busy today with resolute strengthening of democracy, including the preparation for the 2020 general elections,” according to the content of that statement. Those parties offered their condolences “most saddened to the families of the victims, the National Defense Forces and the Government of Burundi”, wishing a speedy recovery to the wounded.
In that statement, they call on the Burundi government to “do everything possible to ensure that such an aggression should not happen again”. But also to “seize the authorized judicial bodies of the sub-region, in particular the East African Community and African Union to launch a neutral investigation, with a view to establishing responsibilities and to apply appropriate sanctions to the Rwandan aggressor”.
To Burundians, those parties call for “being ready to mobilize to lend a hand, if need be, to the National Defense Forces, in case of foreign military aggression”.
The same political parties invite “the neighboring countries, precisely those that have been attacked by Rwanda, namely the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Uganda, to adopt mechanisms to put this neighboring country out of state of harm”.
In that statement, the signatory parties encourage the voluntary return of refugees and say they support the government to continue to welcome them warmly, especially opinion leaders. They say they reiterate their support for the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) and the government to continue organizing free, peaceful and transparent elections, while ensuring the security of its citizens and its borders. They warn that “if this kind of aggression is repeated, they will not hesitate to encourage the Burundi government to respond to and resort to the right of catching the enemy. According to the statement, those political parties reaffirm “their commitment to the peaceful resolution of all conflicts and urge all politicians to use non-violence in their demands”.
That statement was signed by 11 political parties approved in Burundi namely: the RADEBU by its leader J. de Dieu Mutabazi; FRODEBU Nyakuri Iragi rya Ndadaye by its leader Kefa Nibizi; the PMP Abagenderabanga by its leader Guillaume Ruzoviyo; the APDR by its leader Gabriel Banzawitonde; the PRP by its leader Déo Rusengwamihigo; UPD Zigamibanga by its leader Abdul Kasim; MSP Inkinzo by its leader Tite Bucumi; Kaze FDD by its leader Generose Nahimana; FROLINA by its leader Cécile Nshimirimana; RPB by its general secretary Déo Rwazemba and PALIPE Agakiza by its leader Casimir Ngendanganya.
