International community should act to save Burundi

It is quite unfortunate that Burundi has, in the recent past, been hitting the international headline for all the wrong reasons.

Apparently, Burundi’s political crisis began in April, this year, when President Pierre Nkurunziza declared his interest to run for a controversial third term.

The matter become worse when Mr Nkurunziza was re-elected to office on July 21 in what can be termed as a sham presidential election. This can be cited as the mother of all political turmoil bedevilling this tiny East African country.

The country will never been the same again. It has been characterised by a senseless massacre and bloodletting. Hundreds of people have died while more than 200,000 people have fled the country.

Last week’s arbitrary killing of about 100 youths and other extra-judicial killings and torture in the past are clear indications of the dictatorial and ruthless leadership in Burundi.

A previous clarion call by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to cease the brutal murder of unarmed citizens has fallen on deaf ears.

As we speak now, the country is on the verge of economic meltdown due to lawlessness. Regrettably, the African Union has done very little to end the violence.

There is unprecedented urgency for the international community, more so the UN and AU, to move with speed and halt the escalation of violence.

The current unbridled violence could degenerate into genocide if allowed to continue. The time to halt Burundi’s political and humanitarian crisis is now. Otherwise, unfettered atrocious acts and brutality are a sure recipe for full-blown civil war and a harbinger for genocide.

{Joseph G.Muthama, Thika}

When I see ‘Pray for Burundi’ hashtags, I don’t say amen.

To sit down at home and watch as your post elicits ‘likes’ on social media, do you actually feel like you have done something for Burundi? I’m simply appalled by such for lack of a better word.

We cannot sit and await the intervention from somewhere else for Burundi. We have to take concrete action ourselves, both individuals and leaders.

Not until I saw the horrifying pictures of bodies on streets did I remember these are humans like me and if I were in the same position, I would need them to do something better than a post on social media.

Pray for Burundi and then what next? Is it just something you say so that your conscious can allow you to sleep soundly as children of Burundi are killed? Is it an excuse for inaction?

The prayer should be for us, that our eyes and mind are opened to see how to help Burundi. We should pray for ourselves to be wise and know what to do to bring peace in Burundi.

The least you can do when you go to bed  is to ask yourself what you have done today towards ending the Burundi crisis? And by us all doing so everyday, only then will we begin to see actual change take place.

{Linda Rono, Nairobi}

I wish to hail the African Union’s Peace and Security Council for resolving last Friday night to deploy an African Prevention and Protection Mission to Burundi to avert a possible genocide.

The mandate of the force is to “prevent any deterioration of the security situation” as well as to protect civilians and “contribute to the creation of the necessary conditions for the successful holding of the inter-Burundian dialogue.”

Although the AU has acted too late, the decision is commendable as long as it is not just empty threats.

{Kennedy Epalat, via email}