BUJUMBURA, August 6th 2024 (ABP) – The International Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior, Community Development and Public Security, organized on Friday, August 2, 2024, an accountability meeting for stakeholders of the project “Foundations for an Inclusive and Peaceful Politics in Burundi (FIPP)”, including the Ministries in charge of the Interior and Foreign Affairs, the leaders of political parties approved in Burundi.
In his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry in charge of Community Development, Mr. Théophile Ndarufatiye, said that the Government of Burundi, through the Ministry responsible for the Interior, is following with great interest the activities that NIMD is carrying out with various national political actors, with the aim of contributing to the consolidation of a peaceful environment and inclusive politics, conducive to the holding of elections in 2025-2027. He recalled that NIMD signed a general cooperation agreement with the government of Burundi followed by the signing of a protocol for the implementation of its program focused on capacity building of political leaders, contribution to the promotion and facilitation of dialogue frameworks between political actors, etc. In this implementation protocol, he said, NIMD committed to working closely with the Ministry of the Interior, Community Development and Public Security and to periodically conduct strategic discussions with it and other stakeholders to take stock of the activities being carried out. Mr. Ndarufatiye further indicated that the leaders of political parties expressed the need to be supported and strengthened to fully play their role of enlightening the Burundian population and meeting their needs. On this, he explained, the Ministry in charge of the Interior addressed this plea to NIMD so that support and capacity building be extended to all political parties.
For his part, the country director of NIMD in Burundi, Mr. Dieudonné Ntanago, first recalled that NIMD is an NGO under Dutch law that works in about fifteen countries around the world, including Burundi, with a view to contributing to the establishment of inclusive democracies by bringing together politicians and society so that they can formulate policies together to improve their democratic system.
In addition, he added, NIMD is already implementing several projects aimed at improving the socio-political situation of the community with a view to establishing inclusive democracy in Burundi. Regarding the Foundations for an Inclusive and Peaceful Politics in Burundi project, Mr. Ntanago reported that this project was funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the aim of supporting the Government of Burundi in its initiatives to engage socio-political actors, democratic actors and political leaders in the operationalization of Burundi’s vision of “emerging country by 2040 and developed country in 2060.