GITEGA, November 19th (ABP) – Burundi Head of State Evariste Ndayishimiye granted, on Sunday, November 17, 2024, at his palace of Kibimba in Giheta district of Gitega province (center of the country), an audience to the special envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations (SGNU) for the Great Lakes region, Mr. Huang Xia.
At the end of the audience, Mr. Huang revealed to the press the content of the discussions. He said that he had come to listen to President Ndayishimiye to get his advice and to better do his work of mediation in this region. “President Ndayishimiye was kind enough to share with me his view of the situation and his analysis of the different dynamics,” said Mr. Huang Xia, indicating that his goal is to work more around regional efforts, in particular the two processes of Luanda and Nairobi.
Speaking about President Ndayishimiye’s position on this issue, Mr. Huang Xia said that he was very clear. “We must favor a political solution, a more inclusive, more holistic and more sustainable solution to put an end to these cycles of instability that have already penalized the Great Lakes region for almost three decades,” Mr. Huang Xia pointed out. And in this context, he continued to say, the UN sees in Burundi, a very important role, a key country in the Great Lakes region.
He announced a summit of the countries of the East African Community, planned soon in Arusha, Tanzania. This will be another opportunity to talk about these diplomatic and political efforts, Mr. Huang Xia said.
He Mr. Huang Xia disclosed that he told President Ndayishimiye that the United Nations is there to accompany and support the countries of the Great Lakes region in order to see how to quickly achieve these political efforts mentioned above.