PRESS STATEMENT:CLOSING REMARKS BY H.E. BENJAMIN WILLIAM MKAPA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA AND FACILITATOR OF THE INTER-BURUNDI DIALOGUE

PRESS STATEMENT:CLOSING REMARKS BY H.E. BENJAMIN WILLIAM MKAPA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA AND FACILITATOR OF THE INTER-BURUNDI DIALOGUE

CLOSING REMARKS BY H.E. BENJAMIN WILLIAM MKAPA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA AND FACILITATOR OF THE INTER-BURUNDI DIALOGUE AT THE CLOSURE OF THE INTER-BURUNDI DIALOGUE ON 24TH MAY 2016 AT THE ARUSHA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE (AICC), ARUSHA, TANZANIA

I wish to thank you all for coming to Arusha to participate in
consultations on the Inter - Burundi Dialogue. The high turnout has
been very impressive and I feel very encouraged. I am also
particularly touched by the presence of our international partners who
have expressed support to the process.

For this first session of consultations, my office invited a wide
range of participants from the Government of the Republic of Burundi,
political parties allied with the Government, political parties that
participated in the elections last year, political parties that did
not participate in the elections, other political actors, the National
Commission for Internal Dialogue, civil society organizations, women,
youth, religious groups and the Federal Chamber of Commerce. A few of
those who received the invitations declined to come.

During these four days, we have had very fruitful consultations. At
any moment there were no acrimonious interventions. All of you showed
a high degree of civility, patriotism and a great desire to own the
dialogue. It is evident that you are yearning for peace and a stop to
killings and assassinations. I note that there is tremendous aversion
to violence, targeted killings, and the realization that war is not a
solution to the crisis. Some of you have expressed concerns about the
economic decline obtaining in the country because of the crisis.

I hope that during your stay here in Arusha, you were able to interact
and exchange widely on issues of general concern.

In the next two weeks, I will continue and complete the consultations
with those who did not come during this session, but whom I feel might
have positive contributions to make to the process. I will also
consult with the Mediator in order to determine the way forward.
Thereafter, I expect to convene a dialogue session possibly during the
third week of June.

In the meantime, I would like to request you to prepare yourselves and
choose representatives who will be able to present your views fully at
the next sessions. I would also appreciate if delegations could come
prepared with written memoranda outlining their positions on the way
forward.

In conclusion, I wish to thank you for attending these consultations,
your positive contributions and determination to find a solution to
the crisis. I also wish you a safe return to your respective
destinations.


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