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Vice-President intimates troop presence in DRC

[Cote d'lvoire] Jordanian soldiers, part of some 6,000 UN peacekeepers, in the Ivorian capital Yamoussoukro. UNOCI Photo
What will happen to the UN peacekeeping mandate which is set to expire on 4 April?
    ABIDJAN

    First Vice-President Frederic Bamvuginyumvira has described relations between his country and the Democratic Republic of Congo as good.

    In an interview with the BBC Kirundi service during a visit to London this week, he noted that President Laurent-Desire Kabila had assisted Burundi when it was under economic embargo. "Therefore Burundi cannot say it supports
    those fighting him," he said. "We make sure that relations between Burundi and Congo are good." He noted Burundi's ambassador to DRC had returned home because of the war, but that he would go back once the issue was resolved.

    He intimated that Burundi may have troops in DRC. "When war starts in a neighbouring country, you go beyond your front door," he told the interviewer. "So we decided to send our soldiers as far as possible, so that we do not get surprise attacks."

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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