Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last discussed violence and insecurity in Burundi with (a) the Burundi Ambassador, (b) the Burundi government, (c) the UN and (d) the African Union.

I spoke with the Burundian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Deo Sindayihebura, about violence and insecurity in Burundi on Thursday, 10th December. In the week commencing 14 December, I was in the region. On 17 December I discussed violence and insecurity in Burundi with the Burundian Foreign Minister Alain Nyamitwe, and Major General Prime Niyongabo, Army Chief Of Staff.

My visit to the region was focused on Burundi throughout. I had separate meetings with the Ugandan President Museveni and the Ugandan Foreign Minister Kutesa. Additionally, I spoke by phone with Defence Minister Kiyonga, the Ugandan nominated mediator, on 15 December. I met the Rwandan Foreign Minister Mushikiwabo on 16 December. These meetings were with key members of the African Union, who are looking to help find solutions to the situation. On 7 November, I spoke with Ibrahima Fall, AU Special Envoy to the Great Lakes, and Smail Chergui, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security.

I met with UN Humanitarian agencies including UNHCR, IOM, WFP, UNICEF whilst in Burundi. I also recently wrote to the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Conflict Prevention, Jamal Benomar, to make clear our concerns about Burundi and offer the UK Government’s support to him.