MAKAMBA December 20th (ABP) – A good neighborly meeting between the provinces of Burundi namely Makamba, Rutana, Ruyigi, Cankuzo, Muyinga and Rumonge, bordering the Kigoma regions of the United Republic of Tanzania, was held on Friday December 17, 2021 at Nyanza-Lac in Makamba province to strengthen the friendship of those neighboring provinces, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
In a press release read jointly by the governor of Kigoma and that of Makamba, those parties agreed to continue to meet at least twice a year and whenever necessary to strengthen the bonds of friendship and good neighborliness already initiated. They agreed to sensitize Burundian refugees in Tanzania to return to Burundi to strengthen the security of those refugee camps. They also agreed to sensitize the people to use the recognized borders when they want to go from one side to another and the good neighbor pass will have to be reduced from two weeks to three months of validity.
People should be facilitated to return to their country with their possessions.
They also agreed to add to the Tanganyika Cup championship, other disciplines including basketball, volleyball, swimming, netball and folk games while including in this championship the regions of Kagera, Rukwa and Katavi of the United Republic of Tanzania.
They agreed to build roads and border markets to allow the surrounding people to exchange products from this neighboring region. They also agreed to develop the seaway to lower the cost of goods while strengthening peace and security on the common border of the two countries.
Finally, those meetings will have to involve the authorities of the jurisdictions of the two countries.
Note that the secretary general of the CNDD-FDD party who is among the initiators of those good neighborly meetings, had honored that meeting with his presence.
The Ambassador of Tanzania to Burundi, the Consul General of Burundi in Kigoma, representatives of the defense and security forces of Tanzania and Burundi as well as the administrative officials of those provinces also participated in that meeting.