Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the current political situation in Burundi, following the presidential elections on 20 May, and (2) how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting Burundi.

The UK welcomes the broadly peaceful conduct of the elections in Burundi on 20 May, and takes note of the provisional presidential and parliamentary results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission on 25 May. We are, however, concerned by reports of violence against political party members during the electoral period. In advance of elections, the UK called on all parties to resolve electoral disputes through legal mechanisms and to ensure a peaceful post-electoral environment, through a joint statement with Germany, Belgium, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the EU and the United Nations Country Team. We are continuing to follow developments closely.

The Burundi elections took place against the challenging context of the COVID19 pandemic. We have called on the Government to ensure necessary measures are implemented to limit the transmission of COVID-19. A Department for International Development humanitarian affairs officer is working with United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to support preparedness and contingency planning for COVID-19 in Burundi.