African Peace Bloc Pulls out of Troubled Burundi

Local Editor

An African regional bloc has pulled its headquarters out of crisis-hit Burundi after months of violence to ensure the "safety and security of its staff."

In a statement seen on Friday, the 12-nation International Conference on the Great Lakes Region [ICGLR] said: "The situation in Burundi is seriously worrying."

Based in Burundi since 2007, the bloc works to boost "peace, security, stability and development" in Africa's Great Lakes region.

"Every week, if not every day, bodies are discovered in Bujumbura... there are also shootings and explosions of grenades," top ICGLR official Ntumba Louaba said in a statement, warning of a risk of a "cycle of violence."

Burundi descended into violence in April after President Pierre Nkurunziza launched a bid for a third consecutive term in office, despite concerns over the legality of such a move.

The government blames a string of attacks on "armed criminals", but the UN has warned that Burundi risks sliding back into civil war after a dramatic rise in violence.

Besides Burundi, ICGLR members are Angola, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team