BUJUMBURA, August 22 (ABP) – The Bureau in charge of information, communication and the spokespersonship in the Office of the President of the Republic of Burundi issued on Monday August 21, 2023, a press release to formally deny inaccurate information on the President of the Republic of Burundi about the political and security situation in Niger.
The press release specifies that on August 18, 2023, an information site called atlantic actu published an article in which entirely fictitious remarks are attributed to the President of the Republic of Burundi concerning the political and security situation in Niger and a supposed role of France.
According to the same press release, the Office of the President of the Republic of Burundi informs both national and international opinion that Head of State Evariste Ndayishimiye has not given any interview on August 17, 2023 and had never expressed himself in those terms, contrary to what the above-mentioned medium asserts. To that end, the – atlantic actu – is invited to rectify its erroneous publications without further delay.
In addition, the press release also specifies that the political and security situation in Niger, the position of Burundi, which holds the rotating chairmanship of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union for this month of August 2023, was presented in full session by the President of the Republic in person, during the last extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The Office of the President of the Republic of Burundi, particularly attached to the freedom of press, recalls the dangers of amateur journalism which flouts the ethics of the profession, the first obligation of which is respect for the truth.
Thus, the Office of the President of the Republic of Burundi demands the immediate withdrawal of that misleading article on all atlantic News platforms and the formulation of public apologies.