Burundi and Tanzania agree to upgrade relations

The Burundian and Tanzanian governments agreed this week to upgrade Burundi’s diplomatic representation in Dar es Salaam to ambassador level, according to a joint communique issued Tuesday in the Tanzanian capital and quoted by ‘The Guardian’ newspaper in Tanzania. The communique was issued during a visit by Burundian Foreign Minister Severin Ntahomvukiye. A tripartite commission comprising the two countries and the UNHCR is scheduled to meet on 28-29 March and, according to Ntahomvukiye, its agenda will include security between Tanzania and Burundi, the situation in refugee camps in Tanzania and the issue of armed rebels there. He said at a news conference that the uncontrolled passage of heavy weapons in the Great Lakes had enabled Burundian rebels based in Tanzania to attack Burundi.