Congressman Repeats call for a special U.S. envoy for region Chairman Smith Comments on Burundi Violence
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Africa Subcommittee, made the following statement concerning on-going political violence in the central African nation of Burundi:
“All sides should uphold principles of non-violence and respect for the rule of law,” Smith said. “It is important that the United States remain engaged in seeking the restoration of peace. I again call upon the Administration to name a special envoy for Africa’s Great Lakes Region, which includes Burundi. That this important position for such a volatile region remains unfilled three months after Ambassador Russell Feingold announced that he was stepping down signals a disengagement when lives are at stake. I find that very worrisome.”
The small-landlocked nation erupted into violence last week when army soldiers sought to force President Pierre Nkurunziza to step down following his announcement that he intended to run again for President despite constitutionally-mandated term limits. Thus far an estimated 100,000 people have fled their homes, fearing that violence would escalate into inter-communal violence of the sort that wracked the nation in the 1990s. Following the failed gambit, the situation remains tense, with violence occurring on both sides. Burundian faith-based leaders have called for peace, a call Smith strongly supports.