The United States of America and Burundi last week signed an agreement for financing of $400 million which Gitega said is intended to support efforts of the government of Burundi in sustainable development.
The agreement was signed last Friday in Bujumbura by Burundi’s foreign affairs minister Albert Shingiro and the director of USAID mission in Burundi-Rwanda Jonathan Kamin.
Burundi and United States of America relations have improved significantly since last year.
“The US ambassador to Burundi Higgins and USAID renewed the U.S. partnership with Burundi by signing a five-year agreement to promote health, humanitarian assistance, economic growth, and the rights of all Burundians,” the US embassy in Burundi twitted.
In November last year the US lifted sanctions imposed on Burundi since 2015 when violent protests erupted against the former late president Pierre Nkurunziza that led to more than one thousand people losing their lives.
During the 2015 political crisis, Burundian security forces and top government officials were accused of gross human right violations.
The US issued an Executive Order to terminate the declaration of Burundi as a national emergency in November 22, 2015, last year US said that the transfer of power following elections in 2020, significantly decreased violence, and President Ndayishimiye’s pursuit of reforms across multiple sectors. “Accordingly, I hereby terminate the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13712, and revoke that order,” part of the executive order read.
The lift of sanctions against Burundi came after the US ambassador to Burundi Ms Melanie H. Higgins met Burundi’s president in Gitega on Tuesday 16th, 2021.
Burundi is now set up for an economic recovery that plunged since 2015 when both the EU and US imposed sanctions on the government.