Members of the African Development Bank (AfDB)'s High Level Panel on Fragile States, Greg Mills and Rakiya Omaar, undertook from 23rd to 24th October 2013, a mission to Burundi to consult with government officials, development partners and relevant civil society and private sector actors. The objective of the mission was to discuss the underlying challenges which need to be addressed to help the country move from fragility to sustainable development.

During the mission, the Panel members along with the Bank's Resident Representative in the country, Abou Amadou Ba, made a courtesy visit to Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza. The President thanked the AfDB for the role it has played in supporting fragile states, especially Burundi, which is a country working to re-build its institutions and economy after decades of recurrent conflict.

The AfDB's support, he said, has helped the government put in place measures which facilitate reconciliation, mobilize the people's support around a national vision for peace, and provide infrastructure needed to drive economic development and private investment. Nkurunziza stressed the importance of developing key sectors - energy, agriculture, mining, tourism and infrastructure- to create jobs for the largely young population (70% below 25 years) and break the cycle of fragility.