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Burundi: Head of State Makes a Brief Visit to Tanzania
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Burundi Réalités (Bujumbura)
25 January 2008
Posted to the web 25 January 2008
Bujumbura
Burundi's head of state, Pierre Nkurunziza, visited Tanzania for a few hours today.
He met the Tanzanian president, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, in the northern city of Mwanza. Their talks focussed on the PALIPEHUTU-FNL movement, the use of the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam in the transport of goods and foodstuffs headed for Burundi and the repatriation of Burundian refugees. President Kikwete called on the leaders of PALIPEHUTU-FNL to stop fighting and return to the peace process.
The two presidents expressed their hopes that the crisis in Kenya, which has already impacted the economies neighbouring countries, may soon come to an end with the help of regional and African facilitators. They also agreed that ministers in charge of trade from the two countries will soon meet in order reach trade agreements.
Many of the goods imported to Burundi pass through the port of Mombasa. Burundi also imports products manufactured in Kenya such powder soap and canned milk. The crisis in Kenya caused its economy to nose-dive after the European Union decided to freeze its aid in order to push President Kibaki to start talks with his rival Raila Odinga. There is hope that this crisis will end since the Kenyan opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has agreed to participate in a cabinet for national unity.
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In the meantime, the stalemate in Burundi's national assembly persists. An extraordinary session called for by the head of state did not take place today. Opposition members of the parliament said that they would not attend unless a special parliamentary commission is set up to look into the blockage that arose in the implementation of the peace deal between the government and FNL. This is the second time this month that members of the parliament have boycotted an extraordinary session that President of the Republic has called. Early this month, members of the parliament did not meet in order to analyze three project laws. Today's session was also to address the same project laws, including the ratification of amendments of the East African Union.
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