Briefing by the Foreign Minister of Burundi

On Thursday, March 17, the Africa Center hosted a briefing with H.E. Alain Aimé Nyamitwe, Minister of External Relations and International Cooperation of the Republic of Burundi, who provided an update on developments in the country, including the mission of the Heads of State appointed by the African Union, the visit of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, the nomination by the East Africa Community of former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa as facilitator of the peace talks, and the acknowledgement by the United States of Rwandan involvement in the crisis, among others.

Africa Center Director J. Peter Pham welcomed participants, introduced the Foreign Minister, and moderated the discussion following the minister’s opening remarks.

Nyamitwe’s remarks focused on the ongoing civil unrest in the country, the National Commission for Dialogue, and broader regional stability, as well as the country’s economic relationship with the US. In particular, Nyamitwe communicated the government’s critical position on President Obama’s decision in October to exclude Burundi from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Nyamitwe’s full remarks are included below.

 


Other participants at the event included the Honorable Herman J. Cohen, former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; His Excellency Ernest Ndabashinze, Ambassador to the United States from the Republic of Burundi; and the Honorable James Yellen, former US Ambassador to the Republic of Burundi.

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H.E. Alain Aimé Nyamitwe and J. Peter Pham, Director of the Africa Center

Image: H.E. Alain Aimé Nyamitwe, Minister of External Relations and International Cooperation of the Republic of Burundi