Burundi peace talks postponed

BUJUMBURA, Burundi

Peace talks to end the escalating violence in Burundi were postponed on Tuesday, an official said.

Wednesday’s scheduled talks in Arusha, Tanzania, were called off due to a holiday for government employees, Joseph Bangurambona, permanent secretary at Burundi’s Foreign Ministry, told Anadolu Agency.

“We need to agree on a new appointment as the government of Burundi is on leave until Jan. 15,” he said. “The mediation must also take note of our reserves. The government does not intend to negotiate with radical opposition.”

A spokesman for the opposition alliance CNARED said he was unaware of the reason for the delay.

No future date for the talks was given by either side.

Uganda hosted talks on Dec. 28 in an attempt to restart a faltering peace process in Burundi, following months of violence that has seen at least 400 killed. Special envoys from the African Union, the EU, the UN and the U.S. attended.

More than 220,000 Burundians have fled the country since April, when President Pierre Nkurunziza said he would seek a third term in office.

There are fears the violence could spiral into civil war and ethnic conflict in an echo of fighting in the 1990s between Hutus and Tutsis that claimed an estimated 300,000 lives.