Burundi’s bid to join the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has been rejected after the country apparently failed to meet some of its requirements, according to an official statement from the Southern Africa regional bloc issued to APA in Kigali on Tuesday.
The statement quotes the current SADC chair, President Hage Geingob of Namibia as saying that Burundi did not meet the bloc’s admission requirements after the latest assessment.
Much of this is due to the fact that Burundi’s internal political instability that Nkurunziza is alleged to have provoked in 2015 when he sought a third term in office, it said.
Speaking in Tanzania where he was visiting President John Magufuli on the issue, Geingbob said, “the SADC assessment mission has been sent to Burundi, but recommended thus far that it is not yet propitious for Burundi to be admitted into SADC.”
He said this was due to what he called the unresolved democratic process in that country.
“We are also concerned about the accusations and counter-accusations between Burundi and Rwanda, about interference in each other’s internal affairs,” the Namibian leader said.
In addition the Namibian President also said he will be delighted if his Tanzanian counterpart Magufuli can shed any light on the current situation in Burundi and the security situation between that country and Rwanda.
The political crisis in Burundi intensified after President Pierre Nkurunziza’s controversial re-election.
CU/as/APA