African Union Decides To Impose Targeted Sanctions On Burundi

President Nkurunziza's controversial third term has plunged Burundi into serious crisis with scores of fatalities

The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) has decided to impose sanctions against Burundian stake holders, who contribute to the perpetuation of violence and impede the search for a solution to the crisis facing the country. The decision came on Saturday during the 551st meeting on the prevailing situation in Burundi of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) held in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.

The Council "decides, in support of the efforts to find an early and consensual solution to the crisis facing Burundi, to impose targeted sanctions, including travel ban and asset freeze, against all the Burundian stakeholders whose actions and statements contribute to the perpetuation of violence and impede the search for a solution," said the Communiqué of the meeting.

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The Council requested the AU Commission to urgently compile a list of Burundian individuals and entities to be targeted by these sanctions.

It further requested the Commission to take the necessary measures to ensure that the members of the defense and security forces involved in human rights violations and other acts of violence do not take part in AU-led peace support operations.

The Council also requested the Chairperson of the AU Commission to initiate consultations with the United Nations for the adoption of similar measures.

It also decided to increase the number of human rights observers and military experts deployed by the AU in Burundi.

The Council requested the Chairperson of the AU Commission to take the necessary steps to bring rapidly to a total of one hundred (100) the number of personnel deployed, including a police component, and to initiate the required consultations with the Government of Burundi.

The Council demanded that the Burundian parties fully cooperate with the human rights observers and the military experts, in order to facilitate the effective implementation of their respective mandates.

It requested the Chairperson of the Commission to submit to the Council monthly reports on the human rights situation and acts of violence in Burundi, on the basis of the reports of the human rights observers and the military experts.

The Council agreed on the launching of an in-depth investigation on the violations of human rights and other abuses against civilian populations in Burundi, for the purposes of enabling Council to take additional measures.

In this regard, the Council requested the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to urgently take the required steps to carry out this investigation and to submit to it a report within a maximum period of forty-five (45) days, from the adoption of the present communiqué.

It requested the Commission, in consultation with the EAC and the East Africa Standby Force (EASF), to expedite and finalize the contingency planning requested in communiqué PSC/PR/COMM.(DVII) adopted by the Council at its 507th meeting on 14 May 2015, for the purposes of the deployment in Burundi, should the situation so require, of an African-led Mission to prevent widespread violence in the country.

The Council requested the Commission to update it on the evolution of its efforts within a maximum period of one month.

The Council reiterated its call for the mobilization of the necessary assistance in support of Burundian refugees in neighboring countries, and requests the Chairperson of the Commission to take the necessary initiatives to this effect.

AU to sanction Burundian stakeholders whose actions and statements contribute to the perpetuation of violence and impede the search for a solution

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Organs Of AU And EU Meet In Ethiopia On Peace And Security

Xinhua reports that organs of the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) will hold a peace and security meeting in Debre-Zeit, about 45 km south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.

The AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) and the EU Political and Security Committee (EUPSC) will hold their first joint retreat in Debre-Zeit on Oct. 15 under the framework of the Africa-EU strategic partnership in peace and security, said an AU statement on Tuesday.

The two organs will hold the retreat with the theme of enhancing coordination between AUPSC and EUPSC on conflict prevention and mediation, according to the statement.

The joint retreat will be followed by the 8th annual joint consultative meeting of the two organs on Oct. 16 at the same venue, noted the statement.

The joint retreat is in implementation of an agreement reached by the two organs at their previous annual joint consultative meeting in Brussels, Belgium on May 15, 2014, and consistent with AU’s cooperation with other international organizations on issues of peace, security and stability in Africa.

The AUPSC and the EUPSC had previously agreed among other things to enhance their joint working methods and to hold brainstorming sessions/ retreats to discuss matters of common concern, recalled the statement.

The joint retreat, which translates that agreement into concrete action, is expected to contribute to a greater awareness of the challenges related to conflict prevention, mediation, and offer both organs an opportunity to share experiences, best practices and lessons learned in Africa and Europe, said the statement.

The joint retreat confirms and demonstrates the recognition by the two organs of the growing importance of their strategic partnership and the need to strengthen political dialogue and cooperate to ensure full and effective implementation of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), it said.
The EU continues to be one of the main strategic partners of the AU on a range of issues, providing support through several instruments, notably, the Africa Peace Facility (APF), through which the EU is supporting the operationalization and implementation of various components of APSA.