The East African Community will consider an additional budget for the Intra-Burundi dialogue in November, after receiving support from donors including China, Switzerland and the European Union.

Lack of funds was one of the reasons that the facilitator of the talks, former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa, was forced to call off meetings five times.

The Council of Ministers said the Secretariat had received $200,000 from the Chinese government as a donation to support the dialogue.

“The Council directed that the money be utilised for the all-inclusive dialogue activities under the office of the facilitator,” says a report of the EAC Council of Ministers released last week.

Mr Mkapa has, however, said the EAC needs to also commit its own funds instead of relying on donors in order to give the talks credibility.

“One of the nagging challenges that our facilitation efforts are forced to grapple with every time we organise the session, is the issue of finance. We have been almost entirely depending on the generous support of the EU and China. I feel the need for Your Excellences to consider providing more reliable financial wherewithal now that we are going to the mediation phase,” he said in a brief to the EAC Heads of State Summit last week.

The mediation is led by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

READ: Mkapa’s plea to EAC on Burundi peace talks

Mr Mkapa noted receiving support from the EAC important to give the process credibility.

“Apart from credibility and independence of the facilitation, ownership of the process will revert to the region,” said Mr Mkapa. The other factor to the success of the talks, he said, was for the EAC Heads of State to get President Pierre Nkurunziza and other parties to the Burundi conflict to commit themselves to inclusive dialogue without preconditions.

“From the two dialogue sessions and extensive consultations, the facilitation has formed certain impressions. We think there are certain proposals, if accepted and endorsed by the Summit, will go a long way in serving the process,” said Mr Mkapa.

“In view of the recent developments, the EAC Summit should call on parties involved to desist from making inflammatory statements. The Summit should look into ways and means of pacifying any border tensions, which do not help the mediation process,” Mr Mkapa added.

The Burundi ruling party — Defence of Democracy-Forces for the Defence of Democracy — has insisted that it will not participate in the talks if groups it considers plotters are involved while the opposition is putting pressure for all stakeholders including those in exile to be engaged.

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