UN Chief begins Africa tour in bid to stop violence
Education Minister Fred Matiang'i welcomes UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon upon his arrival in the country. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The UN leader is then expected to leave Burundi on Tuesday for the Democratic Republic of Congo on the second leg of an Africa tour.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has travelled to Bujumbura to support on-going UN efforts at resolving Burundi’s political crisis.
Burundi was thrown into crisis in April when President Nkurunziza decided to run for a controversial third term that he went on to win in July.
To date, it has been reported that more than 400 people have been killed, over 240,000 have fled the tiny nation, and thousands more have been arrested and possibly subjected to human rights violations.
The UN leader is then expected to leave Burundi on Tuesday for the Democratic Republic of Congo on the second leg of an Africa tour.
He is expected to be in Goma to visit people impacted by the insecurity and humanitarian crisis in the region, including those living in camps for internally displaced people.
In Kinshasa, the Secretary-General will preside at the opening session of the Great Lakes Private Sector Investment Conference.
He is also due to meet with the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Joseph Kabila, and political and civil society representatives.
The Secretary-General will leave Kinshasa for Juba, South Sudan on 25 February, and meet with President Salva Kiir as well as visit a Protection of Civilians’ site that is run by the UN Mission in that country.
The Director-General of UN Office in Nairobi (UNON) Sahle-Work Zewde and Kenya’s Minister for Education Fred Matiang'i met him.
