New York, 25 June 2015 - In an interview with UN Radio, Saïd Djinnit, the United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, has specifically revisited the situation in Burundi, after the violent incidents experienced by the country following the announcement of the candidature of the incumbent president and the attempted coup.

Said Djinnit spoke about the facilitation work he undertook in support of the Burundian dialogue. He referred to the manipulation and misinformation that forced him to step down as Facilitator. However, he declared that he is still committed as the Special Envoy for the elections although he regretted that much valuable time had been already lost.

The Special Envoy stressed that the situation in Burundi, as in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, is of concern to the United Nations, because these countries, which are in the heart of the Great Lakes region, have suffered conflict and must address the challenges of peace building, democracy and development.

For Said Djinnit it is important that election processes in those countries improve. In the case of Burundi which has experienced a decade of stability due to the achievements of the Arusha Accords incorporated in the Constitution, it is desirable that this historic compromise is maintained until the country reaches a level of citizenship where ethnic differences fade and become an historical footnote. The Special Envoy was pleased to note how Burundians have taken ownership and have seen how the Arusha Accords have helped them to make progress.