The President of the Republic of Burundi, His Excellency Évariste NDAYISHIMIYE received in audience, a high-level delegation composed of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Continental Secretariat of the APRM, Professor Edward Maloka, Ms. MarethéHerfurth, Chargé d’Affaires representing the Ambassador of South Africa to Burundi, Mr. Gonzague-Patrick Balagizi, AU liaison Officer to the Great Lakes and Burundi, Dr. Valery Yao, Coordinator of Universal Accession to APRM and Ms.
Thato Chabana Oceana, Personal Assistant to the CEO.
Prof. Maloka expressed his gratitude to the President for the audience and explained the core principles of the APRM. With respect to the rationale of the mission to Burundi, the CEO informed the President that the mission is grounded on an AU Assembly of Head of State and Government decision which entrusted the APRM with the mandate to achieve Universal accession of all AU Member States to the Mechanism by 2023. The CEO further sensitised the President on the advantages of membership to the Mechanism, and
congratulated him, for significant commendable practices that Burundi has developed under his leadership over the recent years, including food security and peaceful elections.
Ms. Marethé Herfurth carried an invitation from His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa and current Chairperson of the APR Forum to his Burundian counterpart. He also received a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for signature at the forthcoming APR Forum, scheduled for February 2022. According to Mr. Gonzague-Patrick Balagizi, the accession of Burundi to APRM is an opportunity for experience sharing and peer learning.
In response, H.E Évariste NDAYISHIMIYE thanked the APRM as an African home-grown institution which promotes voluntary accession in solidarity and furtherance of the ideals of Pan-Africanism, good governance, and socio-economic development on the Continent. He said Burundi is pleased to accede to APRM. The President emphasised that, owing the various challenges faced by his country, especially conflicts, the efforts of the government were geared towards rebuilding the nation. In this regard, they undertook profound reforms of the Police, administrative and fiscal decentralisation which were mainly informed by the inclusive national dialogue. Burundi is pleased to pursue these reforms with the support of the APRM and the African Union. He finally
confirmed his participation and the accession of Burundi as the 42nd APRM Member State on 4 February 2022.
At the end of this audience, Prof. Maloka announced, with satisfaction to the media, that the Republic of Burundi will officially become the 42nd member of the APRM at the next APR Forum.
Prior to the audience, the CEO and his collaborators paid a Courtesy Call on the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Ferdinand Bashikako, representing Amb. Albert SHINGIRO, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation. Discussions focused on the added value of APRM to the African Union (AU) Member States, the various types of the APRM reviews, and the process of accession to the Mechanism.
The APRM concluded the mission with a visit to H.E. Edouard NDUWIMANA, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Burundi in remembrance of the key role he played in the overall success of the mission. Prof. Maloka expressed his profound gratitude to the Ombudsman, for the interest in promoting good governance, securing the appointments, the exceptional mobilisation of authorities and his commitment to support the APRM in the establishment of its national structures after the country’s official accession.
