In This Issue:

- Leading the News

- United States – Africa Relations

- North Africa

- East Africa

- West Africa

- Sub-Saharan Africa

- General Africa News

- Excerpt from Leading the News

Burundi:

On June 4th, United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed ongoing concern about the potential for escalating violence in Burundi and reiterated his call for calm and restraint as the political tensions around President Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision to seek a third term continued. Secretary-General Ban called on Burundian authorities to ensure security forces avoid the use of excessive force in handling demonstrations and stressed those responsible for ordering or committing human rights abuses would be held accountable. He also called for the resumption of the political dialogue facilitated by U.N. Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Said Djinnit.

On June 4th, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Boozman (D-AR), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a letter to Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza urging him not to seek a third term in office. The Senators said President Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term would be a violation of Burundi’s constitution and the Arusha Accords, and pushed President Nkurunziza to work with opposition leaders towards national reconciliation and a future free from political violence.