UN chief calls for peaceful elections in Burundi

UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called upon the Burundian government to strive for a peaceful and secure atmosphere for the upcoming presidential election.

In a statement issued here by his spokesman, Ban urged all parties to "refrain from any acts of violence that could compromise the stability of Burundi and the region."

He said that he has taken note of the indefinite suspension of the inter-Burundian dialogue that started on July 14 under the facilitation of Uganda pursuant to the July 6 recommendations of the Summit of the East African Community (EAC).

"The secretary-general calls on the authorities to do all in their power to ensure security and a peaceful atmosphere during the election," the statement said.

Burundi's presidential camp over the weekend decided to suspend its participation in the political dialogue that began last Wednesday to reach a compromise over points of disagreement on the forthcoming election.

The presidential camp took the decision just three days ahead of the presidential polls set for July 21.