The Burundian government explains its absence at the Comesa summit by the relocation of the event in Zambia

The Burundian government is not represented at the 20th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Common Market of Eastern and Southern African States (Comesa), which has been held since Tuesday in Zambia, and explains this absence by the fact that the relocation of this summit to be held in Burundi is illegal.

"The decision to relocate this summit to Lusaka should be taken by Burundi, Madagascar and Ethiopia which constitute the office of Comesa and it has been scorned because the letter of relocation was signed by the secretary general of Comesa who is an employee of the organization.It is therefore illegal and the decisions that will be taken will not engage Burundi, "said Allain Diomedes Nzeyimana, deputy spokesman of the President of the Republic of Burundi

Burundi was nominated by the other Comesa member countries to host the summit from 1 to 10 June but things have shifted and the summit has been relocated to Zambia at the headquarters of this organization which has more than 450 million inhabitants.

For the deputy spokesman of the president, the summit was relocated because the European Union which finances Comesa has taken sanctions against Burundi and that "it does everything so that Burundi does not profit from the funds which it unblocks".

Allain Diomede Nzeyimana informed that the national committee of Celebrations reported on the expenses incurred in organizing this summit, which finally could not be held in Burundi, as it was planned to claim the amount of these expenses and the compensation of Burundi. [19659002] Comesa member countries are Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Uganda, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland and t Zambia.