Burundi officials blame Museveni for stalled peace talks with opposition

Last week, President Nkurunziza sent emissaries to Kampala, following his surprise inauguration last month, with analysts speculating that he was reaching out to the regional leadership.

President Nkurunziza dispatched the president of the national assembly Pascal Nyabenda, and longtime rival turned ally Agathon Rwasa, to meet President Museveni.

READ: Muted response to Nkurunziza’s third term amid calls for talks to resume

Speaking to The EastAfrican, government spokesperson Gervais Abayeho said that their side is ready to engage with those opposed to the president in order to find a way out of the political crisis that is now in its fifth month.

“Political dialogue is an ongoing process in Burundi. We have remained open and ready to talk to whoever has a stake in this crisis,” said Mr Abayeho on phone from Bujumbura.

He added that President Museveni, who was appointed in early July by the East African Community to renew stalled talks between President Nkurunziza’s ruling CNDD-FDD party and opposition groups, has been unable to bring both sides to the table.

President Museveni, however, delegated Ugandan Defence Minister Crispus Kiyonga to drive the talks.

“President Museveni is the one who should tell us his agenda for the talks and when to resume,” Mr Abayeho told The EastAfrican.

Asked to comment, Uganda’s presidential press secretary, Linda Nabusayi, did not respond as promised.

The last time the two groups met was on July 15, when President Museveni chaired the talks; before President Museveni, there were two other mediators who quit after being rejected by the parties.

UN mediator Said Djinnit resigned in June after being accused by the opposition and civil society of a government bias.

His successor, Abdoulaye Bathily, was rejected by the government, which accused him of an opposition bias and disrespecting authorities in the capital.

READ: Burundi talks falter as mediator quits

It is not yet clear whether UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will appoint another envoy as President Museveni currently has his hands full with the crisis in South Sudan.
Much like the two previous mediators, President Museveni has been unable to get the two camps to agree on what issues should be discussed.

Analysts say President Museveni may not be the best choice to mediate the crisis.

“The general perception is that President Museveni does not enjoy the support of many of the players in the conflict, given that the subject matter of the crisis is term limits and he is a beneficiary of violating them himself,” said Nicholas Opiyo, a Ugandan political analyst and the executive director of Chapter Four, a Kampala-based civil rights group.

The opposition’s main condition for ending the crisis is that President Nkurunziza step down; the government maintains that the president was validly elected, albeit in an election criticised by the international community for failing to meet the basic standards of a fair poll.

To consolidate his position ahead of any future talks with the opposition, President Nkurunziza has already appointed his Cabinet and senior government officials. The opposition now has limited options, and needs to negotiate with the government.

Mr Rwasa, a former rival of President Nkurunziza, has been co-opted by the government as the Deputy Speaker of the national assembly, and has secured five ministerial positions for his party.

With the most prominent opposition figure now in government, analysts in Bujumbura say this is an attempt by President Nkurunziza to show the international community that there is a government of national unity in place.

“The opposition finds itself in a very difficult position now. By agreeing to participate in the talks, they are hoping to salvage what they can,” Mr Opiyo said.
**Original article was published in The East African