AU: Burundi crisis poses devastating risk for region

The African Union has warned of its "deep concern" for troubled Burundi and the wider region if rivals do not resolve political differences peacefully.

AU Commission chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said she was worried at "the continuation of acts of violence and the increase of statements that are likely to further aggravate the current situation."

If the crisis is not solved, it would "create conditions for more instability, with devastating consequences for Burundi and the whole region," she said in a statement late Wednesday.

The central African nation has seen months of violence triggered by President Pierre Nkurunziza's successful bid to win a third term in office, with the government calling the gangs of gunmen "criminals".

The UN has warned that Burundi risks sliding back into civil war after a dramatic rise in killings, arrests and detentions, with over 200,000 refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries.

Some 200 people have been killed in Burundi since violence broke out in April, the UN says.

Dlamini-Zuma called on leaders on all sides to "demonstrate the sense of responsibility that the situation demands, and to place the interests of the Burundian people above any other consideration."

She repeated AU threats made last month of "targeted sanctions" against Burundian leaders, and said the AU continued to back mediation efforts led by Uganda.

Opponents said Nkurunziza's re-election breached the terms of the peace deal that paved the way to ending civil war.

Source: AFP