BUJUMBURA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye has pledged to continue the momentum of building peace across the African continent at a time when he takes the rotatory presidency of the African Union (AU) in February 2026.
This message was delivered on Friday night by the Burundian president's spokesperson, Rosine Guilene Gatoni, following a closed meeting with president of Togo's Council of Ministers and also the African Union-appointed mediator for the crisis in Great Lakes region, Faure Gnassingbe, during his official visit to Burundi on Friday evening. Gnassingbe was accompanied by three AU facilitators.
According to Gatoni, the tete-a-tete meeting provided the AU mediator with an opportunity to listen to Burundi, a country directly affected by this crisis due to its geographical location as a neighbor of the DRC and Rwanda, countries historically linked as they once formed a single colonial entity.
During the meeting, Burundi's major role in consolidating peace and security in the region was also highlighted, with recognition of President Ndayishimiye's commitment and dedication to the pursuit of peace.
These discussions also took place within the framework of Burundi's upcoming chairmanship of the AU, scheduled for February 2026. The Burundian president was delighted with this strategic meeting, which aims to strengthen the credibility of the AU's mediation mechanisms and provide an opportunity to voice the concerns of countries directly affected by this crisis, said Gatoni.
Ndayishimiye thus reaffirmed his "faith and confidence in the diplomatic, moral, and political resources available to Africa to build its own peace and find African solutions to African problems". ■