Burundi parliament rejected 'invasion' peacekeeper force

Burundi's parliament on Monday criticised a proposed African Union peacekeeping mission already dismissed by the government as an "invasion force".

 

Lawmakers rejected the planned force, which was proposed by the African Union (AU) last week amid growing international alarm over spiralling violence in the tiny central African nation.

 

In a final declaration, the parliament urged the government "not to mortgage the sovereignty" of Burundi to the AU.

 

"Burundi is at peace," said Pascal Nyabenda, chairman of both the National Assembly and the ruling CNDD-FDD party whose supporters dominate parliament.

 

"There are troubles in just a few areas of Bujumbura," the capital, Nyabenda said, adding that AU troops were not needed.

 

Other lawmakers complained of Western "interference" and biased media coverage of Burundi's crisis, and rejected talk of a looming genocide as "rumours" with "no basis".

 

The new AU force, dubbed MAPROBU -- the French acronym for the African Prevention and Protection Mission in Burundi -- would have an initial renewable mandate of six months.

 

The 54-member AU said Friday it would send a 5,000-strong force to halt violence that has sparked fears Burundi is sliding back towards civil war. 

 

It gave the government a four-day deadline to agree to the offer, but warned it would send troops anyway.