Top EU officials have called for action to quell violence in Burundi after dozens of people were reported to have been killed there in recent days.
Federica Mogherini, EU Foreign Policy Chief, said on Monday in Brussels ahead of a meeting with the bloc’s foreign ministers that EU was working hard to help stop the violence.
She said that it had become imperative that the dialogue on Burundi started immediately.
Mogherini said that Burundi has been gripped by violence between police and armed groups since April, when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would seek a third term in office.
“Nkurunziza won the July election, which was boycotted by the opposition.
She said that more than 87 people were killed after insurgents attacked military barracks in Burundi on Friday.
“The attackers are believed to belong to armed groups opposed to Nkuruziza’s third term.
“After the attacks, security forces took action that left “many people” dead, including by “summary executions”, she said.
Mogherini said in a statement issued on Sunday evening. She warned of the danger of the crisis spreading to Burundi’s surrounding region.
“There have been fears that atrocities could be committed, with the United Nations warning last month that the situation in Burundi had started to resemble that of Rwanda before the 1994 genocide.
Belgian Foreign Minister, Didier Reynders, expressed shock, adding that the events of the last hours were rather catastrophic.
He expressed the hope that all EU colleagues would be able to send messages to the African Union and the UN Security Council on the deadly situation in Burundi.
“There has to be action there is much too much violence now in the country.’’
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