‘Do not cling to power’: UN boss Ban Ki-moon urges African leaders to ‘protect their people’ before Robert Mugabe takes a swipe at western nations
One of the top items on African Union’s agenda is the crisis in Burundi, where violence erupted after President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his bid for a third term that opponents said was illegal.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told African leaders on Saturday they should not use legal loopholes or undemocratic constitutional changes to “cling to power”, and that they should respect term limits.
Ban was addressing a two-day summit the African Union, a group of 54 states where several leaders have been in power for decades, some have changed constitutions so they can stay on and others are accused of seeking to remove limits.
Leaders should never use undemocratic constitutional changes and legal loopholes to cling to power
The debate about term limits has gained momentum after triggering unrest in places such as Burundi and Congo Republic.
“Leaders should never use undemocratic constitutional changes and legal loopholes to cling to power. We have all seen the tragic consequences when they do,” Ban told the gathered presidents, including Zimbabwe’s veteran leader Robert Mugabe.
It echoed remarks made by US President Barack Obama in the same AU hall on a trip to Ethiopia in July.
Mugabe, who turns 91 in February and the only leader Zimbabweans have known since 1980, made one of his regular swipes at Western powers who he accuses of still harbouring colonial ambitions and of monopolising power at the United Nations.
