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Amid Rwanda-Burundi standoff, EAC pushes for peaceful solutions

East African Community member states. (EAC)

By Mercy Asamba | Friday, January 12, 2024

He said this a day after the Rwandan government said Burundi had decided to shut its border with the East African nation.

The East African Community (EAC) has urged member states to deploy existing mechanisms to resolve any disputes.

In a statement signed by EAC Secretary-General Peter Mathuki on Thursday, the EAC told member states to observe the spirit of their Treaty and embrace peaceful coexistence.

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“I, therefore, encourage our esteemed Partner States to deploy peaceful settlement of any disputes and restrain, strictly observing the spirit of our Treaty and particularly on peaceful coexistence and good neighborliness,” he said.

He noted that the EAC was founded primarily to cooperate for mutual benefit and to promote the welfare of the people of East Africa, and therefore peaceful coexistence was vital.

“All East African Community Partner States are urged to strive to achieve harmonious cooperation in their undertakings to ensure the people of East Africa remain at the center of our integration,” he said.

While noting that EAC integration is people-centered, he underscored the importance of using the available mechanisms in resolving disputes.

“In the event of any dispute arising between two or more Partner States, it is expected that we use the existing EAC Dispute Resolution Mechanism that fully respects the integrity and sovereignty of our Partner States,” he said.

This statement comes a day after the Rwandan government said Burundi had expelled all Rwandan nationals and decided to shut its border with the East African nation as of Thursday.

Interior Minister Martin Niteretse declared, "All borders are closed. We don't need Rwandans here; even those on our territory were arrested and chased away."

The move came weeks after the Burundian president accused Rwanda of hosting and training the Red Tabara rebel group, which claimed responsibility for an attack near Burundi's western border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Rwanda has rejected the allegations.

Burundi has now thrown its full support behind the DRC in the fight against M23, deploying some 1,000 troops to Goma.