No fewer than 100 Burundian protesters who opposed President Pierre
Nkurunziza during months of violence have been released from prison,
officials said.
Deo Ruberintwari, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Interior, said that the protesters were freed on Tuesday as the
government held aid talks with European Union officials.
Burundi,
which emerged from a 12-year civil war a decade ago, began spiralling
into chaos in April when Nkurunziza announced he would seek a third
term, causing months of protests in Bujumbura and a failed coup.
Burundi
has been holding talks with EU officials on whether it can continue
benefitting from EU aid after arresting hundreds of protesters, shutting
private media houses and closing bank accounts of Non-Governmental
Organisations (NGOs).
Ruberintwari, however said that the release of the protesters “has no connection with the consultations under way”.
Activists and human rights groups said many of the protesters were
young men who were beaten while in prison, an allegation which the
officials had denied.
According to government’s spokesman,
Philippe Nzobonariba, media and other organisations were shut down for
criminality and there was evidence that a failed coup in May was
financed through bank accounts of NGOs.
Nzobonariba said that he expected Burundi and EU countries to come up with an agreement for vital aid flows to continue.
The
U.S, in November warned that Burundi was on the brink of civil war and
would need regional mediation to establish a peace process between the
government and opposition to avert a new conflict.
Regional
efforts to cool Burundi’s crisis had stumbled, in spite of calls by
African Union and East African states for dialogue. (Reuters/NAN
No comments:
Post a Comment